The Christmas You Never Knew You Always Wanted
by MTK4FUN
Summary: Haymitch Abernathy, a lonely, wealthy business owner, experiences a Christmas unlike any he's ever known when his secretary Effie Trinket plans his holiday.
1. Chapter 1

_**Haymitch**_

Plutarch Heavensbee stepped into Haymitch Abernathy's large office. "You really ought to spruce this place up. Fulvia could help you."

Haymitch lifted his head from the paperwork that sat on his desk. His eyes glanced around the room that was filled with out-of-fashion furnishings and faded drapes that framed a spectacular view of the City before landing on his senior vice president of Public Relations. "I'm happy with everything exactly as it is. Is there something I can help you with?"

Plutarch shook his head. "Nah. I just stopped by to wish you Merry Christmas. I'm off to the airport. Fulvia and I will be in Tahiti for the next two weeks soaking up the sun."

"Be sure to wear sunscreen."

Christmas was ten days away and already most of Haymitch's executive staff had taken off to celebrate.

Only a half hour earlier, Jacob Boggs had wished him Merry Christmas before leaving for the Rocky Mountains to celebrate with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

It seemed as if all of Haymitch's employees had families, or at least a friend to spend the holiday with. All but Haymitch.

After the untimely death of his fiancé, Maysilee Donner, forty years earlier, he'd concentrated all his energy on building a business. But now at age sixty, all he had to show for his time on earth was a successful company and a hefty bank account.

 _I've far more money than any of my employees and I'm jealous of them. It'd be nice if I could do something fun this Christmas, too._

But Haymitch had no idea of what "fun" would even look like. A trip to an exotic locale? Time spent socializing with high society? Treating himself to a fancy sports car?

He picked up his phone to dial his secretary.

 _Effie's a wonder. She'll know exactly what I'll need, and make all the arrangements._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

Effie Trinket hung up her phone bewildered. Her boss wanted _her_ to come up with a plan for how _he_ should spend _his_ holiday. But he had no idea of _what_ he wanted, or _where_ he should go. His only requirements were to have fun, eat good food, and be around people.

 _Does he want me to get him reservations for Disney World?_

She doubted it, because she knew Haymitch disliked crowds. Effie sat at her computer, perusing travel sites, growing more and more frustrated.

 _If he's lonely, I'd gladly spend Christmas with him._

Over the past ten years of working so closely for the man, Effie had developed a crush on her boss. Fifteen years younger than Haymitch, the paunchy man with dark eyebrows and penetrating gray eyes wouldn't have been her idea of a catch when she was a girl.

But after a broken engagement, and the realization that she wasn't getting any younger herself, Effie's outlook had matured. Good looks faded, but decency and diligence were admirable qualities at any age. And Haymitch was the most fair and hardworking man Effie had ever known.

Unfortunately, because he was _so_ respectful, he'd never so much as flirted with her or even winked at her in a light-hearted fashion. Effie had no idea how to get the ball rolling in the direction of romance.

A crazy thought sprung into her mind, a way that she could give Haymitch a Christmas that would satisfy all his requests, plus allow him the opportunity to get to know her better since she'd, of course, need to be there to supervise _._

 _I'll get him a family of his own and let him experience a real Christmas. One that would make Charles Dickens proud. I'll spare no expense. Good thing Haymitch didn't mention a budget._

She picked up her phone and punched in a number.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Dalton**_

Sam Dalton, owner of the Dalton Employment Agency, hung up the phone and smiled.

 _City folks are plain nuts. Still, if I can pull this one off, Myrtle and I will be able to say goodbye to chilly Dandelion and head south to sunny Florida for the rest of the winter._

But it won't be easy, he reminded himself.

Effie Trinket had dreamed up an elaborate yuletide game of pretend. She'd asked Sam to coordinate the rental of Snow Mansion, a large estate several miles outside of Dandelion, for a few days over Christmas so that her boss, Haymitch Abernathy, owner of the profitable Abernathy Industries, could experience what she referred to as "a Charles Dickens-like holiday."

But because her rich employer was without any family or close friends, she also needed Sam to hire some people to play the roles of family members: an adult son and daughter, plus their spouses, along with a couple of grandkids.

In addition, Effie needed an excellent cook, and a serving maid that would also do light housekeeping since they'd all be living at the estate for those few days.

The people Sam hired would need to be at the estate in character at noon on December 23rd and would work until noon on the 26th. Each employee would be paid $1,500 at the end of the job, plus receive a $500 clothing allowance in advance because Effie wanted them to dress in attire nicer than jeans and sweatshirts. Of course Sam would pocket a substantial fee for pulling it all off.

"You're not giving me much time," he'd warned Effie. "It shouldn't be a problem hiring a cook and a maid; there's plenty of folks locally who could easily take those jobs on. But it might be harder to find actors to play family members on such short notice, it being Christmas and all."

"We don't need actors," Effie explained. "There's not going to be a script, per se, although I'll be writing up some notes for each of their characters."

"Okay, then. That'll make it a lot easier."

He looked at his calendar and shuddered. How in the hell was he going to advertise, interview, and hire so many people so quickly?

 _I'll go through the list of people who've registered with us this year and start making calls. Maybe I'll even offer to be the handyman at the Mansion, free-of-charge, to be sure everything goes as planned. This event sounds like it will be quite entertaining._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

"Everything looks good. Oil's a tad low, though. Bring it into the shop and I'll top it off for you." Gale shut the hood of his cousin's car. He wiped his hands clean on his faded jeans.

"Thanks for coming over to my apartment to check out my car," Katniss said. "I'll stop by for more oil during Winter Break."

"Better make it sooner," Gale said. "The shop's closed between Christmas and New Year's, and I'm taking a couple of days extra off beforehand."

"What for?"

"I'm skipping Christmas with the family this year."

Katniss' eyes narrowed. "Is this because of your break up with Madge?"

A sharp pain twisted in Gale's chest. _Everything move I make is a reaction to my break up with Madge._

But he wasn't ready to reveal that pain to Katniss. "Nope. Got a job paying $1,500 for only four days of work."

Katniss' jaw dropped. "Is it legal?"

Gale chortled. "Yeah, and it will be the easiest money I ever made. Some rich old guy is renting the Snow Mansion for Christmas and they're looking for people to pretend to be his relatives. I'm going to play his son."

"Is there some way I can get in on this gig? Does he need a daughter, too? You know how people are always saying we look alike."

"Nobody says that Katniss."

"They do too. Besides I could use some extra money, and with school closed…

"You teachers never work," Gale retorted.

"Don't tell me about my easy job. I stayed up until midnight last night reading essays." Katniss bit her lower lip. "Please Gale, how do I get in on this?"

 _It might be fun to have Katniss along. And she could use the money to buy a better car than this piece of junk she's driving._

"Call Sam Dalton at the Dalton Employment Agency. But you better do it right away. With what he's paying, there might not be any jobs left."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

"I understand you're hiring for some short-term positions up at the Snow Mansion over Christmas." Katniss held the phone with one hand as she set the pot in the bottom of the sink to fill it with water.

 _I could sure use the extra money. I'm getting burned out eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for dinner every night._

"I might be," Sam hedged.

"My name is Katniss Everdeen and I'm a teacher for District 12 Schools. I'm available to work over Winter Break and I'd like to be considered if there are any positions still open."

"How did you find out about this job, Ms. Everdeen?"

"You hired my cousin Gale Hawthorne, and if it helps, we look like brother and sister. I understand you're looking for people to play the roles of family members."

"Oh, I already lined up someone to be Mr. Hawthorne's sister," the man said, "although I suppose I could switch the jobs around and she could be his wife, instead."

"Wait, will I, I mean his sister, be married, too? And what exactly does being married entail?"

 _Maybe Gale's looking for a hook up now that he's a free man, but I'm not sharing a room with some strange guy._

"Don't worry, we're not asking anything unseemly of anyone. I don't run that kind of operation. All employees will have their own bedroom; it's just a few days of an elaborate game of pretend. Pretend to be married and a parent."

"I'll have children, too?"

"Oh, yes. One at least. I'm still working that part out. Look, I was planning on heading home soon, but I can stay open a little longer if you can get down here within the next thirty minutes. You'll need to fill out a job application, and I'd like to get a look at you as well, to make sure you fit the part."

"I can be there in fifteen minutes." Katniss made it there in five.

"You'll do," Sam said when she walked in the door.

Katniss filled out a job application and the agency owner pulled out a camera and snapped her photo.

"I'll need this for my client." Sam already had a couple of photos sitting on his desk. Besides Gale's picture was a familiar face.

 _Oh, no_.

"Is this the woman you hired to play my cousin's wife?"

"Why yes." His voice grew curious. "Do you know her?"

 _That's all I have to do – get Gale fired._

"Nope," Katniss lied. "Never saw her before."

She wondered if she should say something to Gale about the photo, though.

 _He's going to go crazy when he finds out that he'll be playing spouse to his ex-girlfriend. Should be one heck of a Christmas._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

Peeta stretched out in his recliner chair and listened to a lengthy message on his phone. Sam Dalton from the Dalton Employment Agency was calling about a temporary job. Peeta had registered with the agency earlier in the year during a bad stretch when he'd seriously considered quitting work at the family bakery.

But the jobs Dalton offered weren't anything Peeta was interested in. So he'd stayed put and eventually his mother's temper had reduced from boil down to simmer.

But now Sam was offering him a chance to escape from the Mellark family Christmas, the yearly nightmare where his mother instigated fights between her three sons and four grandchildren, while his dad hid out in the garage.

 _Mom will have a fit if I'm not around to work right up til Christmas Day. I'll tell my family I won a trip in a contest._

Of course there was the matter of what to wear. Sam said the employer was providing $500 for clothing for the Dickens-like extravaganza.

 _It'll be tough to find a linen shirt, cravat, frock coat, and breeches so I'll be appropriately dressed. Hopefully I can find a seamstress who can put together something on such short notice._

He dialed Sam's number to accept the job offer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge turned sideways and looked at the view in the mirror. At least her mid-section was relatively flat at three and one-half months along. She wished she could say the same for her butt and her hips, though.

Her phone rang. She glanced down at the number. It was her mother.

 _Might as well get this over with._

"Hello Mama, yes I'm sure I can't join you and Daddy in Europe for Christmas. You'll just have to get your money back on that ticket you bought for me. Gale and I have plans."

She listened to her mother complain about her ex for a few minutes, then Madge made an excuse to end the call. She knew she'd have to tell her parents soon that her old boyfriend had knocked her up. They were going to have a fit, especially when they found out that Madge had broken up with him before she even knew she was pregnant.

 _It was the right thing, though. We're too different. It never would have worked._

Europe would probably have been fun, however the call from Sam Dalton had seemed like the more practical option.

 _I could outfit the baby's room in style with the money he's paying._

Madge had forgotten all about registering with that job agency earlier in the year.

 _Guess I can thank Gale for insisting I give Sam Dalton my resume when I was going through that rough patch at City Hall._

She knew she'd have to tell her ex that he was going to be a father sooner or later, but she'd prefer to tell him later.

 _He was so upset when I ended it. How will he react when he finds out I'm pregnant?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

"I've got a wonderful Christmas planned for you," Effie said.

 _Of course she does. Effie knows me better than I know myself._

"So what am I doing?"

"I think I'll leave it to be a surprise. But I've arranged to have a car pick you up at noon on the 23rd to whisk you off to your holiday destination, which is a couple of hours outside the City. You'll be home late in the afternoon on the 26th."

 _Sounds intriguing._ "What should I pack?"

"Dress will be business casual; pack a suit for Christmas Eve dinner. But don't worry about anything else. I've taken care of it all. Just be prepared for the kind of Christmas you never knew you always wanted."

Haymitch raised an eyebrow. "Okay, Effie, I trust you. You've never done me wrong before."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

Effie laughed nervously, as she left Haymitch's office. She would have to be on her toes over those four days as she managed the Christmas extravaganza, as she'd begun to mentally call it.

Thank goodness for Sam Dalton's help. He'd e-mailed Effie headshots of Gale, Haymitch's fake son, and Katniss, his pretend daughter. Both were attractive and dark-haired. The pair even looked like they could be related to Haymitch with their gray eyes and dark brows.

His son Gale would be married to Madge, a lovely young woman with strawberry blonde-hair. Haymitch's pretend son-in-law Peeta was also fair-headed, and had the prettiest blue eyes and strong jaw line.

Effie grinned at the photos of her employer's faux grandchildren. Timmy was six, Taiden was four, and Tricia was two. They were adorable towheads. Their mother Cecelia had been hired as maid and assistant to Sae, the cook. Sam had said Cecelia was a widow who was thrilled with the thought of spending the holiday with her children at the Snow Mansion.

Effie spent the better part of a day crafting a backstory for each of them. She was tempted to give all of them new names – she'd always wanted a son named Henry and a daughter named Madeline - but realized it be would less confusing if everyone went by their regular first name.

She arrived at Snow Mansion at 9 a.m. on the 23rd. An older, gray-haired woman sat in a station wagon in the parking lot that was hidden behind bushes at the side of the property. She exited the car when Effie drove up.

"Hello, I'm Sae. I received your menus and purchased all the food we'll be needing, including some extra baking supplies. It's all in the back of my car. We should probably get it unloaded."

It took over an hour to get everything put away in the commercial-sized kitchen.

"I better get started on lunch," Sae said, putting an apron over her black dress.

"Please do. I'm expecting the others here at noon. I'll brief everyone before we eat."

As Sae set to work, arranging a platter of cold cuts and breads for sandwiches, mixing up a green salad, slicing up some fresh fruit, and setting out a store-bought chocolate cake, Effie toured the mansion.

It had ten bedrooms. The largest and nicest was a bedroom suite located downstairs.

 _That one will be Haymitch's, of course._

Effie cut up some paper, wrote a name on each slip, and then taped one slip to the door of every bedroom upstairs. Cecelia and her three children had the largest room because it had two double beds. The other bedrooms varied in size and decoration, but all appeared comfortable. Effie made sure to keep the women to one wing of the house and the men to the other.

She came downstairs precisely at noon to go outside and meet the faux family that Sam had pulled together. Her eyes swept over the group with pride.

 _What a handsome family for Haymitch's Christmas._

Already they seemed to be getting into the spirit of the holidays, with Gale and his new wife engrossed in an animated conversation.

Effie's eyes stopped at Peeta. He was attired in a waistcoat and breeches.

 _Why is he wearing a costume? He must be a practical joker. I'll have him change before Haymitch arrives._

"Welcome," Effie greeted them. "We have a big, big, big day ahead of us. But first I'll need to collect everyone's cell phone. You're on the clock now until noon on the 26th. You'll need to pay full attention to the roles you'll be playing, without any interruptions."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sam**_

Sam parked the rented luxury sedan in front of the towering building.Turning off the engine, he exited the car and lifted his head to admire the elegant carvings in the stonework.

 _Effie wasn't kidding when she said budget wasn't a problem. The units in this building must go for a few million each._

The doorman rushed down the blue, carpeted walkway and toward him. "Are you here for Mr. Abernathy?"

"Yes. Haymitch Abernathy."

"He's waiting in the lobby. I'll get him."

Sam walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk, and then to the back passenger door to open it, as well.

A paunchy man who appeared to be in his late fifties, give or take a few years, walked out of the building carrying a suitcase. He was dressed in a sports jacket, crisp white shirt, and dark slacks.

"I can take that Mr. Abernathy," the doorman insisted. "It's my job."

"Don't bother, kid. I'm been carrying my own bag for years." Haymitch stopped for a moment, reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He shoved it into the doorman's hand.

"Merry Christmas. I'll be back in a few days."

Ignoring Sam, Haymitch walked to the trunk, deposited his luggage, and slammed it shut. Then he put out his hand to shake Sam's.

"I'm Haymitch Abernathy and you're…"

Surprised at Haymitch's friendly, no-nonsense demeanor, Sam shook his hand and introduced himself.

"Look, you don't mind if I ride up front with you?" Haymitch asked. "I hate riding in back."

"No problem."

Sam closed the backdoor of the vehicle, and opened up the front passenger door.

 _This should be interesting._

xxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

"What are you doing here?" Gale hissed at his ex-girlfriend. "I would have thought you'd be spending Christmas skiing in the Alps, or drinking champagne on the top of the Eiffel Tower."

"That's one of the reasons I broke up with you Gale Hawthorne," Madge retorted. "You have a serious problem with people who can afford things you can't."

"I do not."

"You do too."

A woman wearing a business suit and sporting big, poofy hair that was popular when Gale was a toddler, interrupted their argument. She introduced herself as Effie Trinket and asked everyone to enter the house. Gale carried his bag inside, sticking close to Katniss' side, wondering if he should quit right now.

 _The next few days are going to be a nightmare, but I don't want to lose out on that money._

He'd already spent a portion of the $500 clothing allowance for a new suit, saving the remainder to get a rear spoiler for his car.

 _I suppose Madge already blew through her entire $500 advance and then some. I don't recognize that dress she's wearing._

The living room of the Snow Mansion looked like a swanky hotel lobby with polished wooden tables, plush upholstered sofas and chairs, thick carpets, and colorful artwork. A big stone fireplace lit by a gas flame sat at the end of the room.

 _Fancy surroundings, fake fire. I'll bet Madge feels right at home. Why is she even here? Just when I was beginning to get over her._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

Katniss sat down on the sofa, sensing the tension in the air.

 _Maybe I should have told Gale about Madge working this job._

But her good sense kicked in. _Nope, not my responsibility. Gale may be family but he can be a jerk sometimes, too. Their break up was just as much his fault as hers._

Katniss took a deep breath, and ran her hand across the sofa's velvet upholstery to center herself.

Her pretend husband sat beside her. He'd introduced himself as Peeta. He was of medium-height with blond hair that fell in waves over his forehead and friendly blue eyes.

 _He's good-looking, but in that outfit he's gorgeous._

To her eyes, he looked like a hero straight out of a story by Jane Austin. She could already picture him walking out of a lake with a wet, white shirt clinging to his chest.

Yet despite his hunky appearance, Peeta seemed sweet and genuine. Katniss had been touched by the expression on his face when Effie Trinket had told him that no one was supposed to be in costume. It was a cross between horror and mortification.

"I'm so sorry," he'd apologized.

"Well change your clothes when you get a chance," Effie requested.

Katniss had wanted to blurt out, "don't change, you look incredible," but she didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with Effie Trinket who seemed to like making up rules.

Still Katniss couldn't help but wish that men still dressed like this. Waistcoats and breeches did a good job of showing off a man's physique. And Peeta appeared quite appealing in that garb which highlighted his broad shoulders and spectacular backside.

Katniss had taken the job to make some extra money, but she suddenly felt a flicker of hope.

 _Could Peeta be the one?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

 _How did I get it so wrong?_

Sam Dalton had used the words Dickens-type Christmas and then a scene from some old movie version of Scrooge popped into his head and the costumes the actors had worn.

O _h crap. What have I done? I spent $500 on this getup._

Peeta eyed his pretend wife. Long black hair, braided and hanging over her left shoulder, she was stunning. Her eyes, a beautiful silvery color, somewhere between blue and gray, were huge underneath her dark lashes and sculpted eyebrows.

He was pleased to have such a pretty wife, even if the relationship was only for a few days and was fake.

 _Now I've probably blown any chance of something real happening because of this costume._

Peeta hadn't dated since he'd graduated from college and his girlfriend dumped him. She'd called him unsophisticated and provincial because he wanted to work in his family's bakery instead of heading off to the City with her to use his business degree.

 _Maybe I am provincial. But I've never wanted for much, only to do work I enjoy, and to have a family of my own._

Still it was near to impossible to make a dent in fulfilling that latter goal because his work hours made his living schedule so different from that of everyone else.

 _What woman wants a man who gets up at 3 a.m. and is asleep by 8 p.m.?_

Peeta's reverie was interrupted by Effie Trinket. "Haymitch will be here at three. I'll show you to your rooms now. We'll talk more over lunch."

He followed the group, all of whom carried their luggage, upstairs. The men were located on one side of the house, the women at the other. Closing the door to his room, Peeta set his small carry-on on the bed.

 _Might as well put on the only regular clothes I brought with me – the outfit I was planning to wear home._

He dressed in dark jeans, a blue dress-shirt, a red pullover sweater, and sneakers before joining the others downstairs in the dining room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge looked at the buffet, her mouth watering. Her appetite had returned with gusto after the morning sickness had ended a few weeks ago.

What had seemed like a great way to make some extra money - which she needed more than ever now since she'd be a single mother soon enough – seemed like a terrible idea after realizing she was supposed to spend the next few days pretending to be Gale's wife.

 _What a shock to see him here. I could swear the baby kicked me although I doubt that's even possible yet. It's only_ _72 hours, though. I can do it._

Madge made a heaping plate for herself, a mountain of food that included a sandwich thick with roast beef, a green salad, and fresh fruit. She eyed the chocolate cake, but decided against it.

She poured herself a glass of milk from the pitcher that stood on the table with the other beverages. Madge guessed it was for the kids to drink, but she was supposed to be drinking a couple of glasses everyday, too.

While everyone ate, Effie passed out a paper schedule, and went over it with the group.

"We still need a tree. I thought it would be nice for Gale, Peeta, Timmy, and Taiden, to go to the wooded area behind the house with Haymitch and cut one down. We women will stay back to bake sugar cookies, and make decorations for the tree.

"You'll have some free time tomorrow morning. There's a church service in the early evening. Afterwards we'll have a big dinner. We'll open gifts on Christmas morning, followed by breakfast. The afternoon is open, maybe Haymitch will have some thoughts about what he'd like to do. And as for the 26th, I figured we'd wing it.

"Any questions?" Effie asked.

Peeta raised his hand. "I'm a baker by trade. I could stay back and help with the cookies this afternoon, if you like."

Out of the corner of her eye, Madge took in the curl of Gale's lip as Peeta spoke.

 _Judging a man who has traditionally feminine skills he lacks. Gale's so alpha male._

Unconsciously she rubbed her belly.

"Maybe you could do some baking tomorrow," Effie suggested. "But today I need you to help with the tree. I think you and Gale will have to carry it back to the house. Although Haymitch is quite virile, I'm not sure he can manage it by himself."

Effie's next instructions were directed to Madge and Katniss. "You'll both be playing mothers for the next few days. Madge, how about you be Timmy's mother, and Katniss can take on Taiden."

"Can I have Tricia, too?" Madge asked. _That little girl is so sweet looking, with her curly hair._ _I hope I have a baby girl as cute as her._

Effie blinked. "Of course, you can, if that's all right with Cecelia."

Effie turned toward the children's mother who sat at the end of the table surrounded by her offspring. "Do you have any questions or advice for these ladies?"

"Do you have any experience with kids?" Cecelia asked, her eyes falling onto Katniss first.

"I'm a teacher, and I helped raise my younger sister," Katniss said. "I have plenty of experience with kids."

 _That's right. Katniss does have experience. A lot more than me._

"I love children," Madge assured Cecelia.

Gale snorted loudly. Madge turned to give him a dark look. They'd talked about having a family one day - well, Gale had talked about it - but at the time Madge had been more concerned about getting promoted at City Hall. Children were not on her radar then.

 _Maybe the influx of baby hormones has helped me realize that I liked kids all along._

"Haymitch should arrive in a half hour," Effie broke in. "I've taken the liberty to make up a backstory for each of you." She passed out a second, personalized paper to everyone.

"You're welcome to add to it, but don't veer too far off. Haymitch is very traditional; he would be upset to find out that any of his relatives were louts. Read it over. If you have any questions, ask me now."

Madge read the opening line on her sheet. "Madge Abernathy was born to a well-off family, educated at private schools, and is a good and devoted mother."

 _Why this is me, exactly. How did Effie know?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

Sam drove onto a private road that led past open iron gates. A sprawling country house stood before them.

"What is this place?" Haymitch asked. Sam was a chatty fellow who was a storehouse of random trivia about every topic under the sun, but on their two-hour drive he hadn't revealed much about himself or where he was taking Haymitch.

"It's called Snow Mansion. The late Coriolanus Snow built it over fifty years ago. He made his fortune by developing different varieties of roses. Now his family rents it out for private gatherings."

"Any idea what I'm in for over the next few days?"

"I've got a good idea, but I don't think it's my place to say. How about we get your luggage out of the trunk and get you inside. I think there are some people waiting to meet you."

 _People?_

Haymitch followed Sam inside the house. Even though he could easily have afforded to purchase an even bigger country house, Haymitch had never been one for excess. He was perfectly satisfied with the small penthouse apartment he'd bought when he made his first million.

 _Besides I spend most of my time at work anyway._

Effie appeared in the entryway as he stepped inside.

"Thank you Sam for getting him here safely. " She turned to Haymitch. "Come inside and meet your family."

An uncomfortable stabbing sensation arose in Haymitch's chest. _Family?_ His parents and his brother were dead. His only family was himself.

 _And maybe my employees to a small extent. Of course, Effie probably knows me the best. But what in the hell has she arranged? Am I spending Christmas with a bunch of employees?_

Effie reached for his arm and pushed him into a large living room. Strangers sat on the sofas and chairs. All eyes were fixed on him.

"This Christmas, you'll be experiencing all the joys of being a father and a grandfather," Effie said. "Let me introduce you to your children and grandchildren."

Weirdly enough the young man and woman that were supposed to be his son and daughter bore an uncanny resemblance to each other, and even to himself when he was younger and had a full head of dark hair.

The little kids that Effie called his grandchildren were tow-heads, just like the young man and woman who were his son-in-law and daughter-in-law.

 _Maysilee was blonde, too. I wonder if we would have had fair-haired, or dark-haired kids?_

Haymitch hadn't been expecting the emotions that overwhelmed him. It was disconcerting, and it made it hard for him to keep everyone's name straight.

The middle-sized child bounded up to him after the introductions. "Are you rich?"

Haymitch bit his lip trying not to smile, as a woman's voice called out to the child to mind his manners.

 _Nothing like a little kid to get straight to the point. Maybe he should give advice to some of my executives who spend their days talking in circles to me._

"This isn't my real house, if that's what you're asking."

The little boy's face turned downcast.

"What's your name, again?" Haymitch asked.

"Taiden."

"How old are you?"

"Four. Mama said I'm supposed to call you Gampa while we're here, but you're not my Gampy."

"No, I'm not. Why don't you call me Haymitch, instead. That would be a lot easier."

He looked around at the others. "All of you should call me Haymitch. This entire situation is surreal enough."

"You don't like it?" Effie blurt out. She sounded panicked.

Haymitch turned to his secretary. "I don't know what to think yet." But after noting the hurt in her eyes, he added, "But I'm willing to give it a try."

"Good."

"What happens next?" he asked.

"You'll be taking your son, son-in-law, and grandsons out to chop down a Christmas tree."

Haymitch glanced down at his dress pants. "I should probably change my clothes first."

"Let me show you your room." Effie led him out of the living room and down a short hallway.

Sam had already put Haymitch's bag inside the door of the suite.

"What do you think so far?" she asked. Her hands flew up to her bouffant, patting the sides of it.

Haymitch had never heard Effie sound so nervous. He ran his hand across the back of his neck. "Too early to tell. Guess I'll have to see how it goes." He paused. "Who _are_ all these people, Effie? Are they employees of mine?"

"Only for the next few days."

"Where did you get the little kids?"

"Their real mother is helping out in the kitchen and doing some light housekeeping."

"All right, then. I trust you on this. I'll go along with the program. Who knows it might be interesting."

A big grin appeared on his secretary's face. "I know you'll have a wonderful Christmas."

Haymitch closed the door to change, wondering at his secretary's exuberance.

 _What's going on in her head? I know Effie isn't married. Is she projecting her own desire for a family onto me? I don't need anyone. I'm perfectly happy with my life just as it is._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Effie**_

Seeing the men leave to cut down the Christmas tree cheered Effie immensely.

 _Haymitch's Christmas is underway._

Sam Dalton had gone with them, _thank goodness,_ because Effie had no idea whether Haymitch knew the first thing about felling a tree.

 _But surely between four men and two little boys one of them will figure out how to make it happen._

Effie led the women into the kitchen. "Haymitch loves frosted sugar cookies. I thought we could make some for him. Also we need decorations for the tree. I was thinking about something simple like white paper snowflakes."

"I'll make the snowflakes," Katniss volunteered. "I made some to decorate my classroom this year." Effie handed her an unopened ream of white paper and a pair of scissors.

Sae had already made the dough and rolled it out on a marble pastry board. "I have a variety of cookie cutters: trees, bells, and angels," she said. "Thought the little one might enjoy using them."

Madge walked Tricia over to a step stool that been placed for her to stand on to reach the pastry board. She helped the child up and rested her hands lightly on the girl's waist to hold her in place.

"Which cutter do you want to use first?" Madge asked the child. Suddenly as if remembering her place, Madge turned to Cecelia who was loading the dishes from lunch into the dishwasher.

"You don't mind if I take over?"

"You're playing mom for the next few days; go right ahead. I love my kids, dearly, but sometimes I need a break."

Madge smiled. "Thanks. I can use the practice."

"For when you have your own child someday?" Cecelia asked.

"Yes," Madge murmured, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink.

Effie smiled at Madge. _Such a pretty, refined girl. She looks a bit like me when I was younger._

"Are you currently in a relationship, dear?" Effie asked.

"Not anymore. It ended badly. He was so awful about it, too."

 _I know how that goes._ "I'm sorry."

"Thank you, it _has_ been difficult."

From across the kitchen a loud noise sounded, as if someone had pounded hard on a wooden surface. All heads turned toward Katniss, who sat at the built-in desk pointing her open scissors toward Madge.

"Is something wrong?" Effie asked.

"You don't get to play victim, Madge, when you're the one who ended the relationship."

An uneasy sensation came over Effie.

 _How do these women know each other? Will they ruin the wonderful Christmas I planned for Haymitch?_

But Katniss wasn't done speaking. "Gale loved you. He still does. You broke his heart."

 _Gale? The man pretending to be married to Madge for the next few days? What has Sam done?_

A thick tension hung over the room.

 _This has gone far enough._

"What exactly is going on here, ladies?" Effie's voice was firm.

"Please don't fire me." Madge wrapped her arms around Tricia, as if clinging to the child for support. "I have nowhere else to go for the holidays. My parents are in Europe."

"I have no intentions of firing you. But I'd like to know what's going on. How do you two know each other?"

"Katniss is Gale's cousin," Madge explained.

 _That explains the resemblance. I should have realized they were related, but the different last names fooled me._

"I see. Do you think you and Gale can set aside your differences for the next few days?"

" _I_ most definitely can," Madge said. "As for Gale…"

"He'll behave," Katniss cut in. "He was happy to get this job; he won't do anything to jeopardize it."

"What about you, though?" Effie questioned Katniss. "You were hired to play a specific part, and to leave real life family matters at home."

Katniss' face went pale. "I'm sorry, Effie. I was out of line."

"Good." Effie looked around the kitchen. "Do all of you know each other? I know Dandelion isn't so big…"

Sae and Cecelia shook their heads.

"I work for the Collins' family," Sae said. "They went to Texas for the holidays, that's why I was available to take this job."

"I wanted to do something different this year," Cecelia said. "It's the second Christmas since my husband died. We don't have any family on this side of the country and after last year, I wanted the kids to be around other people."

Effie rushed to Cecelia's side to give her a side hug. "Oh you poor dear. Of course you'd want to do something different. I'm sure your children will appreciate having people around, too. That's exactly why I arranged this holiday for Haymitch."

Cecelia wiped away an errant tear from her cheek. "If you don't mind my asking, what exactly _are_ we doing here?"

"Of course you're probably curious. I'm Haymitch's secretary, and he asked me to arrange Christmas for him. He has no relatives or close friends, and I couldn't help but imagine he'd enjoy spending the holiday with a family."

"But we're not his _real_ family," Cecelia pointed out.

"He doesn't have _anyone_. That's why Sam hired all of you."

"You're certainly dedicated," Cecelia said. "Giving up your own Christmas to make your boss' better. Is there something going on between you two?"

Effie's cheeks grew warm as the comment was left hanging in the air. "I've been working for Haymitch for over ten years. I care about him a great deal."

"It sounds like you're a good friend," Sae said.

Embarrassed at the comments regarding her relationship with Haymitch, Effie's demeanor turned businesslike.

"I'm so happy that all of you are here to make Haymitch's Christmas special. Remember, though, that you're all part of Haymitch's family for the next few days, so let's try to keep our personal lives private, and stick to the backstory I gave you." Her eyes darted between Katniss and Madge.

"Now let's get back to work before those men return with the tree."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Sam**_

Sam rubbed his forehead. These poor men. Thrown together for a few days and none of them were saying a word to each other. Haymitch Abernathy appeared to be in shock. Gale wore a scowl. Only Peeta seemed to be making an effort. He was talking to the children, Timmy and Taiden, asking them about their favorite cookies and promising to bake up a batch.

 _It's a good thing I decided to stay._

He'd warned Myrtle that he might be spending some time at Snow Mansion over the next few days helping out, partly because he was nervous about the people he'd hired, but mostly because the entire venture intrigued him. Besides Haymitch Abernathy was a well-to-do business owner man with lots of connections. He'd be a great person to call a friend.

Sam carried the ax, which Effie had handed him before they set off. He pointed toward the tight grouping of trees just past the manicured lawn, and the large, glassed-in greenhouse. "The woods are that way."

The boys ran ahead, their high-pitched giggles breaking through the silence.

Sam came up beside Haymitch. "Looks like you're in shock."

The businessman nodded. "I asked Effie to plan my Christmas. I expected to end up at a resort where I'd spend my time reading by the fire. Maybe doing a jigsaw puzzle. Not playing dad to a bunch of strangers."

Sam nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, women can come up with some curious thoughts about what we men want."

"Effie knows me so well, though. She insisted this would be the Christmas I never knew I always wanted."

"Well guess you'll have to wait and see if she was right."

"I guess so." He paused, for a moment. "Is that kid's name really Timmy? Just like Tiny Tim in Scrooge."

"It is." _Funny I never made that connection._

Taiden, bounded up to the base of a thin birch tree. "Chop down this one," he shouted.

"No," his brother Timmy said, running up to a maple tree. "This is the one."

"Those aren't Christmas trees, kids," Haymitch interrupted. He looked to Sam. "I'm guessing the owners of this place don't want us defacing their woods."

"You're probably right." In fact, he'd never even thought to request permission to cut down a tree on the property as part of the Christmas party.

 _I expect I'll have to add the cost of replacing a mature tree onto the final bill._

"How about this one?" Peeta asked pointing to a fir tree growing about ten yards further into the woods. It was about nine feet tall, large enough to make a good showing in the formal living area of the Snow Mansion. Timothy and Taiden left their choices to check out the tree Peeta had picked out.

"Looks good to me," Haymitch said. "It's far enough back not to be too obviously missing."

Sam handed the ax to Haymitch. "This is your Christmas. You do the honors."

Peeta motioned for the boys to stand clear as Haymitch took a few swings at the base of the tree, felling it.

The boys screamed in delight as it crashed to the ground, causing all the men, with the exception of Gale, to grin broadly.

"Well that was quick," Haymitch said. "Why don't we explore for a bit before we carry this back to the house. I don't know if Effie expects us back so soon."

The children led the way as the men followed behind.

"This estate is a fair size," Haymitch said. "Do you know how big it is?"

Sam shook his head.

Peeta chimed up. "Ten acres I believe. My family's bakery has catered several weddings here over the years."

"Then you probably know this place better than any of us," Sam said.

"I know the kitchen mostly, and the greenhouse where we set up the food. But my dad and I have walked the grounds once or twice when we had time to kill on the job. There's a stream once you get past the trees."

"Well lead the way then," Haymitch said.

Peeta jogged forward to catch up with the children.

"Those kids look like they could really belong to Peeta," Haymitch said.

"They're the children of the cook's helper, Cecelia," Sam responded.

"What about their father?"

"As I understand, Cecelia is widowed."

Haymitch rubbed his hand over his chin. "You seem to know what's going on. What's your role in all this?"

Sam reddened. He'd spent the last couple of hours driving Haymitch here and he'd avoided talking about his integral part in arranging the entire event.

 _Would Effie care if I said something? Would it matter?_

"I'm the owner of Dalton Employment Agency. Effie engaged my business to hire these folks for the next few days."

"I see," Haymitch said. He lowered his voice. "Are they all actors?"

"Nah," Sam said. "None of them are. They all have other means of regular employment, well, other than our cook, Sae. She _is_ a cook. A fine one at that. She comes highly recommended."

"Good to hear," Haymitch said. "I live by myself and eat mostly from cans."

 _A rich man like you?_

"You're a man of simple tastes."

"That's true. I grew up poor and started my business when I was young. Never expected it to take off the way it did."

"Never married then?"

"Nah, there was this one girl a long time ago, but she died before I did anything about it."

"Sorry."

"You're married?"

"I am," Sam said. "Almost twenty-five years. Her name's Myrtle. But we never had kids."

Peeta and the boys made their way to the edge of a rapidly moving stream. They picked up twigs and threw them into the water watching them flow downstream.

As Sam and Haymitch got closer, Gale who'd been lagging behind, sidled up to Sam. "Can I speak with you privately?"

Irritation washed over Sam. _What's wrong with him? He'd been scowling ever since I got here._

Sam threw Haymitch an apologetic look, and watched as he walked forward to join Peeta and the children at the water's edge.

Once Haymitch had left, Gale spoke. "That woman you hired to play my wife, well, I know her."

"And…"

"She was my girlfriend, but it ended a few months ago…"

Sam interrupted. "That's too bad. Is it going to be a problem to be in her presence for the next few days? I could tear up your contract and you could leave right now, but of course, you'll have to pay back the clothing allowance you were advanced."

Gale reddened. "No. It won't be a problem. I just thought you should know, in case Madge causes any trouble."

"Well thanks for letting me know."

 _Somehow I doubt she'll be the one causing a problem._

Gale walked back to toward the water, picked up a small rock and threw it in.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

"So Sam's filled me in on what's going on," Haymitch said to Gale and Peeta as they stood beside the stream. "Its kind of silly both of you pretending you're my relatives. Why don't you tell me something about your real lives?"

Haymitch turned to Peeta first.

"There's not much to tell," Peeta said. "I already mentioned that I work at my family's bakery in Dandelion."

"And they didn't mind you cutting out for the holiday?"

A sheepish look came over Peeta's face. "I told them I won a contest and was going to Disney World."

"I want to go to Disney World," Taiden whined.

Haymitch's eyebrows rose. "Why would you do that?"

"I really hate Christmas at my parent's house," Peeta explained. "My mom criticizes all her kids for not meeting her standards. I'm the only one still single so I get the worst of it. It's not like I want to be single; but I haven't met anyone yet."

"It doesn't matter," Gale blurt out. "Cause even if you meet the one meant for you, she'll likely not want you anyway."

Peeta and Haymitch turned to look at Gale.

 _Oh crap, I sound absolutely pathetic._

"Something like that happen to you, son?" Haymitch asked, catching his eye.

Gale opened his mouth to speak, but he suddenly he sensed Sam's presence. He took a deep breath and muttered, "Yeah."

"You loved her?" Haymitch's eyes bore into him like a laser.

Gale nodded, a thick lump forming in his throat. He looked away from Haymitch and stared at Timmy and Taiden who were tossing twigs into the stream.

 _I wonder if Madge and I would have had blond-haired kids._

He blinked his eyes rapidly, staring at the ground to compose himself.

 _Be a man. Don't cry, damn it._

"Still do. I thought she'd be the mother of my children."

Haymitch frowned. "I had a similar experience when I was younger, but my girl died. If your girl's still breathing, don't give up hope. You may have a chance yet."

 _Ha. You don't know Madge at all._

Taiden took advantage of the momentary silence to pose some questions to the group. "Will Santa know we're here, instead of at home? How will he find us?"

"Oh, Santa knows exactly how to find you," Peeta said. "Trust me, I'm sure of that."

Haymitch bit his lip to hide a smile. "He's right. Santa Claus is a pretty smart guy."

"Good," Taiden said. He turned toward his brother. "You're wrong Tim, Santa will bring our presents to us here."

Gale wandered down the stream bank away from the others. He'd never expected to be so upset over seeing Madge. He'd tried his best to avoid thinking about her after the breakup, filling his days with work and helping his mom by painting her house.

He'd hoped that this silly job over Christmas would have been a chance to relax, but he knew now he was going to earn every penny as he forced himself to put on a happy face around Madge for the next few days.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

Katniss focused on cutting snowflakes. A snip in the wrong direction and the intricate pattern could be ruined.

 _I should have kept my big mouth shut._ _Why did I go after Madge like that in front of everyone? I complain about Gale's stupidity and I'm just as bad._

 _Maybe Madge_ is _having a difficult time, like she said._

There was certainly evidence to prove it. Her personality had changed drastically since the breakup. The driven career woman had never been interested in children before, and would have scoffed at the idea of baking cookies.

Even her style of clothing was different. She'd gone from skin-tight jeans to a loose and flowing dress.

 _It's almost as if she's having some kind of mental breakdown._

By the time the men returned to the house, Katniss had made a stack of snowflakes and a large paper star for the top of the tree.

Everyone but Sae, who had already started preparing dinner, left the kitchen to watch Gale and Peeta carry the tree into the living room, setting it up in a corner of the room.

"It's beautiful," Effie trilled. "Did you pick it out Haymitch?"

"Peeta found it, but I cut it down."

"You did a wonderful job."

"It was just a couple of swings of the ax," Haymitch said.

Katniss made her way to Gale's side. "I need to talk with you," she whispered. "It's important" She nodded toward the front door.

A couple of minutes later Gale appeared to join her on the front porch.

"Let's go for a walk," she said.

"We can't go too far. Effie wants to decorate the tree."

"Fine, this won't take long." She didn't want to tell him what had happened in the kitchen but he needed to be warned that Effie was aware of his previous relationship with Madge, and that she'd be watching his behavior.

"Say, has Peeta mentioned if he has a girlfriend?"

Gale's mouth flew open. "You made me come outside to ask me _that_?"

"I was just wondering."

Gale laughed. "You crack me up, Katniss. Nah, he's definitely single. Let's go back in the house. The temperature must have dropped ten degrees since we carried that tree in the house."

"There's something else," Katniss said.

"You want to know more stuff about Peeta."

"No. I may have accidentally told Effie that you used to date Madge."

"What?"

"I got mad at Madge when she was talking about your breakup, and it all came out."

"Everyone knows? For crying out loud, Katniss."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Gale sighed. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I already mentioned it to Sam. I thought he ought to know in case Madge caused any trouble."

"I don't think she'll do that. She's changed."

"Changed? How?

"She's like a different person. You should have seen her holding on to that little girl Tricia. She said she was practicing for when she became a mother."

"That doesn't seem like something Madge would say. She's never even wanted to talk about having a kid, let alone hold one."

"She also mentioned she's been having a difficult time with the breakup."

"Madge really said that? I never would have guessed."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Peeta**_

Peeta sat at the dining table brushing pine needles off his sweater. _Gottta keep these clothes clean. This outfit is the only thing I have to wear for the next few days._

 _I'm so_ … He cut the thought short. He didn't want to beat himself up over a simple misunderstanding. Especially when he was enjoying himself more than he'd expected. Snow Mansion was the equivalent of a luxury hotel, the little kids were cute and reminded him of his niece and nephews, and then, there was Katniss.

He'd noticed she disappeared prior to the tree decorating, and reappeared a short time later with Gale, both their cheeks rosy. Obviously they'd been outside in the cold.

 _Is there something going on between them?_

It seemed odd especially after Gale had expressed his bitterness about a previous relationship going sour only an hour earlier.

 _Is he planning to sooth his broken heart with my fake wife? Not if I can put a stop to it._

Peeta stared at the place card on the table setting beside his own. It read _Katniss_. Thank goodness Effie was insisting they all stick to their hired roles. At least it would give Peeta a chance to catch Katniss' attention, _assuming she's available and interested_.

Katniss was the last to arrive at the dining table, looking fetching as she'd undone her braid and let her hair sweep down to the middle of her back.

She gave him a sweet smile, but he didn't get a chance to respond because Cecelia and Sae began bringing platters of food to the table. Roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans and biscuits.

 _The food's sure prime._

Silence filled the room once everyone had filled their plate.

 _Are we supposed to talk about our real life or the fake person we're supposed to be?_

The paper Effie had given Peeta described him as a well-to-do banker. He'd snickered when he read it. He didn't know the first thing about banking. He'd actually lost his ATM card in the machine twice.

Suddenly an idea came to him. He picked up a biscuit from the platter and held it out to Katniss.

"The cook must be from around here because these biscuits are tall, tender and flaky. Cooks from the southern part of the country make biscuits that are softer, which crumple."

She smiled at him. Pleased at capturing her attention, Peeta couldn't help but continue. "The original biscuit was a flat cake. It was cooked in a tin, removed from the oven and then baked a second time. It turned out hard and dry, and was a staple for sailors and soldiers for centuries."

"My goodness, are you a history teacher?" Katniss asked. "First the historical garb and now a lesson on the origin of biscuits. I'm a teacher, too."

"No, I'm a baker."

"What do you bake?" she asked.

"Mellark's makes everything from cheese buns to wedding cakes."

Katniss' eyes widened. "You're one of _those Mellarks_? Why your bakery is famous. All of the teachers at my school had their wedding cakes made by Mellark's"

Peeta beamed. "I do the wedding cakes." A warm glow formed in the center of his chest. "Where do you teach?"

"At Dandelion Middle School. I teach Literature."

"I read books," he blurt out.

 _She must think I'm an absolute moron._

But Katniss chuckled. "I'm glad."

Soon Katniss began to talk about her favorite author, Jane Austin. Fortunately, Peeta knew a little bit about her because his sisters-in-law, Fern and Delly, were rabid fans of the many film versions that had been made of her book, _Pride and Prejudice_.

Peeta had watched two of the movie adaptations with them – his brothers had called him a suck up, but he'd enjoyed them – and he remembered the argument between Fern and Delly regarding who played Darcy best: Colin Firth or Matthew Macfadyen. He asked Katniss her opinion of the matter.

Her eyes lit up at the question.

 _Alpha male Firth or vulnerable Macfadyen, her decision says so much about the kind of man she's attracted to._

Peeta smiled at her answer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge was seated beside Gale, her ex boyfriend and now fake husband. Ever since his initial outburst when they'd met earlier today, he'd been ignoring her completely, except to ask her "to pass him some mashed potatoes."

Instead he'd turned to Timmy who sat on his other side, probing the mind of his pretend six-year-old son to find out what kind of car he wanted when he grew up.

 _How can Katniss claim he still loves me?_ _If so, he certainly has a strange way of showing it._

Tricia had gotten cranky after decorating the tree, and Effie had suggested she sit beside her real mother for dinner. So without her faux child and faux husband, Madge focused on the food, and ate until she was stuffed.

She'd been worried that alcohol would be served with dinner, and that she'd tip off Gale to the pregnancy when she didn't imbibe. Fortunately there wasn't a drop of liquor at the table.

 _Maybe the holiday is alcohol-free due to the presence of the kids._

After the table was cleared of food and dishes, Cecelia took all three children away to put them to bed, while Effie suggested everyone else play Scrabble. Effie set the board game onto the dining table and began passing out letters.

In all the time Madge and Gale had been together, they'd never once played a board game together. To her astonishment, Gale won using mechanical terms: piston, cylinder, sump, camshaft, and gasket.

 _I don't even know what they mean._

"You've got a very clever husband." Effie said, giving Madge a wink.

 _You know he's not my husband_ , Madge wanted to shout. Instead she gave the woman a sickly smile. Effie was the only one still pretending that they were all related.

Out of the corner of her eye, Madge noticed Gale's expression. She knew that face – he made it every time he received a complement.

Madge couldn't help but wonder if the child she was carrying would have similar mannerisms. She'd been dreaming of a little girl but what if she had a son, and he looked exactly like Gale?

 _Hazelle once showed me pictures of Gale as a child. He was kind of cute._

Madge noted the clock on the wall. It was nearing 8:30 p.m. She yawned.

"Are you tired, dear?" Effie asked.

"Yes. I think I'll turn in. It's been a long day."

Gale gave her a curious look. Of course he'd be surprised; she'd always been a night owl. But the pregnancy had changed all that. Some days she was exhausted. It didn't help that this particular day had been unduly stressful.

 _Good thing, I brought some books to read. I'll put on my pajamas and read until I fall asleep._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

Shortly after Madge left, the party broke up. Haymitch watched as everyone claimed tiredness, and left for his or her room.

"I'll see you kids in the morning," Effie called after them.

"It's not even nine p.m.," Haymitch said. "Why is everyone so tired?"

"It's tiring to pretend," Effie said.

 _But you're the only one pretending._ "What's on the agenda for Christmas Eve?"

"I figured I'd give everyone a chance to sleep in and have a free day to explore the Mansion's grounds. There's a small church down the road that has an early evening service. We'll have a big dinner afterward around seven or eight, and then pass out a gift or two to the children."

"I was wondering if you'd be able to scare up a Santa suit. I thought I could use it to have some fun with the kids. The boys were talking about Santa Claus this afternoon. It brought back some memories from when I was little."

Effie blinked rapidly _._

 _Is she crying?_ "Look I don't want to make any more work for you…"

"It's not that," Effie said. "I'll do my very best to make it happen." Effie brushed her hand along her cheek. "If you don't need me any longer, I guess I'll turn, too. It's been a long day."

"Sure, go ahead. I think I'll sit in the living room by the fire and enjoy the tree for a bit."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

Effie sat in front of the vanity in her room, studying her face. Why had she gotten so emotional about Haymitch wanting a Santa suit?

Maybe it was because the Christmas vacation that she' d devised for him was working out better than she'd thought. She was getting a chance to see another side of the man she'd had a crush on for years. And now, she couldn't help but think: _We could make it work. I know it._

Effie had heard rumors about Haymitch when she'd first begun to work for him. The old secretary that had trained her said Haymitch's childhood sweetheart had died when he was young and he'd buried his grief in his work. It had sounded so romantic to Effie, then; but her thoughts on the matter changed as the years passed.

 _Love is a part of life. If you cut yourself off from loving, you cut yourself off from life. Maybe those little children will be the key to waking him up to really living again._

Effie got up from the vanity. _I should call Sam right now and see if he can bring a Santa suit out to the house tomorrow._

Too lazy to dig through the tote that contained all the cell phones she'd confiscated, including her own, she left her room and headed downstairs to the kitchen, which housed the only landline in the building. As she hurried past the entry to the living room, she noticed Haymitch staring into the fire.

 _I wonder what he's thinking._

Dialing Sam's number, she looked across kitchen and out of the window. Large flakes of snow were falling.

 _A white Christmas? Now that's a surprise. There was no forecast of snow._

She smiled to herself, sure that Providence was showing favor on her plan.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Dalton**_

"It's the craziest thing," Sam said. "All those folks playing pretend up at Snow Mansion. I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself."

"Are you going back tomorrow then?" Myrtle asked.

"Probably not. It looks like things are going smoothly."

The ring of the phone interrupted their conversation. After a brief talk, Sam hung up.

"I guess I _am_ going back. The client wants me to bring over a Santa suit. I'll have to stop by the costume rental. Hopefully Joe's got one left."

"Get back early," Myrtle requested. "My niece will be here with the kids for dinner at three."

"I'll do my best, but it was beginning to snow when I returned the rental car tonight. I may have problems driving the hatchback out there if it snows hard enough. The snowplow doesn't go as far out as Snow Mansion."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

Gale woke up and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't had such a good sleep in a long while. Weirdly enough he'd dreamed of Madge, dreamed that they were back together again, married with two children, a little girl dancing in a field as her toddler brother tried to imitate her. Maybe he shouldn't have listened to Katniss' information that Madge was having a difficult time with their breakup.

 _It's messing with my thinking. As much as I've tried to get over Madge, I just can't seem to do it._

He got up and dressed. When he got downstairs he found that the dining room was empty, but a large spread of food – scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, bacon, waffles, and berries, sat on the buffet in the dining room. He began to load his plate.

Gale had only eaten two bites when Peeta entered the room.

"Good morning," Peeta greeted him.

Gale waved his fork in return. "You should try the hash browns."

"Right-oh."

A couple of minutes later, Peeta had sat down across from him, his plate piled as high as his own.

"What an interesting job this is, if you can even call it a job," Peeta said, before taking a bite.

"It _is_ weird, all right. How'd you find out about it?"

"Sam called me. I registered with the Dalton Employment Agency earlier in the year because I was going through a rough patch at the bakery. It can be tough working with family."

"Yeah, families can be brutal when they can't accept the fact that you're an adult and maybe have some ideas of your own. I'm the oldest of four. My mom's been giving me her "honey-do list" ever since my dad died when I was thirteen. It would be tough to split my time between my mom and a wife."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, it struck Gale that maybe that was why Madge had ended things with him. She was tired of playing second fiddle to his mother, and Rory and Vick and Posy. He did tend to put them ahead of Madge.

 _Why did I never see that before?_

"Morning guys," Katniss greeted them.

Peeta's cheeks went pink. He mumbled a quick hello, lowered his head, and dug into his food.

 _He's got it bad. Might as well help the poor sap out, especially since Katniss was asking about him._

"Morning Catnip," Gale said. His cousin glared at him. _She hates that nickname._

"I can see you're in a chipper mood this morning," Katniss replied. "You should play Scrabble more often."

Gale laughed. "That's not it. Only 50 hours left and I won't ever have to see Madge again." But even as he spoke, he regretted his words. He did want to see Madge again. _He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her._

"You're a bad liar," Katniss said. She walked over to the buffet.

Peeta looked at him curiously.

"You might be the only person in this entire house who doesn't know yet," Gale said. "Madge is the woman I was referring to yesterday. We dated for three years, broke up a couple of months ago, and now I'm supposed to pretend we're married."

Peeta's mouth fell open. "Wow. That's rough."

"It is."

"So how do you and Katniss know each other?" Peeta probed. "You didn't take up with her after it was over with Madge, by any chance?"

From across the room, Katniss turned from the buffet and laughed. "You're hilarious, Peeta. I would never date Gale. He's too bossy. Besides we're cousins."

Gale watched Peeta's facial muscles relax.

 _Yep, he's got it bad._

Katniss carried her plate to the table sitting beside Peeta. "Gale, you should let Peeta and I help you get Madge back."

"Like that would ever happen. She hates me."

Peeta's eyebrows went up. "Hates you? What did you do to her?"

"Asked her to marry me."

Peeta snorted in disbelief. "You're kidding."

"I think the way you asked might have played a role," Katniss suggested. "You should have taken her somewhere romantic, not pop the question in the grocery store parking lot."

"Oh, so telling someone you want to spend the rest of your life with them isn't romantic enough?"

Katniss sighed. "The setting means something. It means you put some thought into it."

Gale turned to Peeta. "What do _you_ think?"

"I don't know. I've never proposed to anyone before."

Gale winked at Katniss. She scowled back at her cousin.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

Katniss had just met Peeta yesterday and already she knew she wanted to know him better. He seemed easy going and fun to talk with. She was too serious herself – a side effect of being a teacher. She needed someone who was light-hearted to keep her on an even keel.

 _Maybe if Peeta and I help Gale and Madge, we'll help ourselves too._

"What are we supposed to be doing today anyway?" Katniss asked.

"I think we have some free time," Peeta said.

"Why don't you take Madge on a long walk and talk things out," Katniss suggested to her cousin.

"She doesn't like stuff like that. She's more of an inside-type person. Besides didn't you look out the window this morning? It snowed last night."

"Snow?" Katniss' eyes grew big. "It's the perfect backdrop."

"A walk in the snow," Peeta broke in. "A cup of hot cocoa in front of the fire. That might get her attention and let her know you're interested."

He turned to give Katniss a wink, and her heart melted.

 _That_ would _be perfect. I would love that very much._

Gale frowned. "I don't know. Madge is barely speaking to me. I'm not sure if she's willing to be alone with me." He stood up, holding his empty plate. He carried it to the empty tub at the end of the buffet. "I need to think about it."

As soon as he left the room, Katniss sighed. "Sometimes I just want to kick Gale. He's so dense."

"Some guys have to learn the hard way," Peeta said.

"So you've always had good relationships with women?"

Peeta chuckled. "Well, my last girlfriend wanted to skin me alive."

Her heart twisted _. I don't want to hear about any of your previous girlfriends._

"What did you do?"

"Didn't follow her to the City after college. She didn't want to live in Dandelion."

"You haven't met anyone since college then?"

"Oh, I meet lots of women every day."

Katniss' eyes narrowed.

"They're customers at the bakery." He smiled. "Hey would you like to go for a walk out in the snow after you're done eating. I know the area around the mansion fairly well. Our bakery has catered some weddings here."

 _Yes, yes, yes._

"I'd love to."

Peeta stood up. "I'll meet you in the front entry in ten minutes, then."

Katniss picked up the pace of her eating.

 _If only he'd wear his costume. It would be like a fairy tale. I should have packed a long dress._

xxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

Peeta put on his jacket, wishing again he'd brought more regular clothes to wear. After a few days this outfit was going to smell.

 _At least I haven't scared Katniss off yet._

He was waiting for Katniss at the front door when Cecelia approached him with Timmy and Taiden.

"I need to make the beds," she said. "Can you watch the boys for me?"

"Sure," Peeta said brightly, although he couldn't help but wish the kids had slept later. But there wasn't much for them to do at Snow Mansion. No toys, no television, and no other children to play with. Anyway _he was_ getting paid to be their dad over the next few days.

"Katniss and I were planning to go out in the snow."

"I'll get their coats and mittens, then." Cecelia turned and went upstairs.

"Where's your little sister?" Peeta asked Timmy.

"Mama gave her to the fake Mama."

 _Must be Madge. Guess Gale's being baby-blocked._

Katniss appeared suddenly. "Looks like we're doing some babysitting," Peeta said. "Cecelia asked us to watch the boys."

Momentary disappointment crossed her face. Without thinking, Peeta reached over and put a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

 _Crap. I shouldn't have done that._

But Katniss didn't seem to mind. "I'll make it up to you," he promised.

A shy smile came to her lips. "I'm keeping you to it."

"Don't worry I always keep my promises." He turned to the boys. "Let's go play in the snow."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Madge**_

A loud knock woke Madge up. She got out of bed and stumbled to the door to find Cecelia on the other side. Tricia was in her arms; Timmy and Taiden were next to her.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but can you take Tricia now so I can get to work?"

 _What?_

"I guess," Madge mumbled.

Cecelia handed her the child and a tote bag. "I filled it with diapers, wipes, a couple of toys, and some cheerios and a juice box she can have for breakfast. Can I leave the boys with you, too?"

"I'm not even dressed yet," Madge said.

"Okay, then. I'll find someone else." Cecelia reached for the boys' hands and set off in the direction of the stairs, as Madge closed the door.

 _Maybe I should look for Gale and tell him to watch his pretend kid until I'm fully awake. I'm sure he'd love that._

She deposited Tricia on the bed and looked through the tote bag. "How about you drink some juice while I find something to wear."

Madge opened the small closet where she'd hung her clothes. Tricia was wearing leggings and a sweater.

 _I brought those same items with me._

"Let's be twins, sweetie," she said to the little girl.

Madge eyed her body in the full-length mirror as she dressed. _I shouldn't have eaten so much last night._ She felt bloated, and looking at herself from the side she could see a tiny bump forming.

 _Great. Why couldn't you wait a few more days to make an appearance, little one? Thank goodness the sweater is loose._

After dressing, she walked the child downstairs. She met Gale at the bottom.

"How'd you like to go outside in the snow?" he asked.

Startled to be addressed by him after being ignored yesterday, all she could think was to say, "It snowed?"

"At least six inches."

"I can't. I have to watch Tricia."

"I'll find Cecelia and get her coat. Katniss and Peeta are already outside with Timmy and Taiden."

Gale scooped the little girl up into his arms setting the child off into a fit of giggles before Madge could respond.

"If you want to get some coffee first, Tricia and I will meet you outside. There's a carafe in the dining room."

"I stopped drinking coffee a few months ago," Madge said.

Gale's eyes narrowed. "Why would you give up coffee?"

 _Cause I'm pregnant._

"It tasted funny. I'll go upstairs and get my coat and gloves."

 _Well that was weird. But then we are supposed to be pretending to be married. But snow, ugh!_

Madge spent the morning outside with the others making a snow family. At one point, she'd looked toward the house and noticed Effie and Haymitch in the living room watching.

 _I guess we're earning our pay by pretending to be a big, happy family._

And for a while Madge forgot that they weren't.

After they'd made several snow people, Peeta suggested a snowball fight. Madge brought Tricia inside to Cecelia because the little girl was complaining about the cold, and then came out of the house to find herself teamed up with Katniss and Taiden, against Gale, Peeta, and Timmy.

They took opposite sides of the lawn and got ready to do battle.

"How about you throw, and I'm make the snowballs," Madge suggested to Katniss.

 _She has the better aim._

"I'll make some too," Taiden said. However the boy's hands were small, so his snowballs were small, too, forcing Madge to be responsible to make most of the arsenal. Despite the cold, she grew warm as she worked.

Meanwhile snowballs were flying quickly from the other side of the yard. Madge was struck in the back several times. The first time she was hit, she turned her head to see who had thrown it. In that moment, another one went whizzing close by her face.

"Sorry," Peeta called from across the snow-covered lawn.

Next to him Gale snorted. "Why are you apologizing? You missed her."

 _I'll get you good Gale Hawthorne._

Madge turned back and got to work, rapidly piling snowballs near Katniss' feet.

After a while, Katniss grew tired. "You throw for a while Madge, and I'll make the snowballs."

The front of Katniss' coat was covered with snow. Apparently she'd been struck a lot.

Instinctively Madge ran her hand over her stomach. Would the baby be injured if she were hit in the belly with a snowball?

 _Probably not, unless they're throwing rocks covered with snow._

Katniss handed her two snowballs. Madge threw them both at Gale. The first missed but the second hit him in the ear.

"So we're going all out then?" Gale shouted.

The throws came at her fast and furious. Madge shifted from side to side, avoiding most snowballs, but a few landed on her torso, ranging from her chest as far down as her upper thighs.

The battle stopped when Madge accidentally hit Timmy in the face with a snowball and he began to cry.

Madge left her post and hurried across the lawn to comfort the boy.

"Some mother you are," Gale said.

His tone was teasing, but she threw him a dark look, before hugging Timmy. "Let's go inside and get you something warm to drink. Maybe some hot chocolate."

"I want a hot chocolate, too," Taiden said. He'd run across the lawn following Madge, a snowball in his hand. He shoved it into the front of Peeta's jeans, just below his beltline.

Peeta jumped back in surprise. "Why did you do that, Taiden?"

The boy grinned. "Katniss told me to."

"Oh sweet wife of mine," Peeta shouted as he dashed across the snowy lawn, holding a chunk of snow.

 _Is he wearing oven mitts instead of gloves? What a quirky guy. He'd be a good match for Katniss._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

After a large breakfast, Haymitch carried his second cup of coffee into the living room. The drapes had been drawn and his pretend children and grandchildren were on the large front lawn playing in the snow that had fallen the previous evening.

Haymitch couldn't remember a morning when he'd gone without reading at least half dozen newspapers. But it wouldn't be happening these next couple of days.

He was watching the children build a snow family when Effie joined him. In all the years, he'd known her, Haymitch had only seen his secretary dressed in her business attire with her hair teased high on her head, and her face artfully made up. He almost didn't recognize her when she came into the room dressed in a plaid shirt, khaki pants, and boots. Her shoulder-length hair was down and clung to her head in tight curls. She wasn't wearing a speck of make-up.

 _I didn't realize Effie was so pretty._

She sat down and looked toward the window, taking a sip from her cup of tea. "Look at your kids. They're sure having fun."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do. But you don't need to call them my kids. We're not related. But you're right. They do seem to be having fun."

"You don't mind this then – what I planned for you?"

"Not at all. It's actually very creative. You should be running the Marketing Department. You're far too clever to be stuck being my secretary."

A panicked look came over her. "I like my job."

"I'm just pointing out how talented you are."

"Thank you, Haymitch. I appreciate your recognition very much. By the way, I asked Sam to bring a Santa suit over today."

"Good. You mentioned something about gifts. Do we have gifts for the kids?"

"I have a whole closet of things for those kids."

"Good, good. How do anticipate this all playing out then? Open all the gifts tonight, or tomorrow morning."

A faint blush settled on Effie's cheeks. "That's up to you Haymitch. My mother always let us open one gift on Christmas Eve. The rest had to wait until the following morning."

He chuckled. "My mother did that too. But the present she let us open on Christmas Eve was always a pair of new pajamas." He paused. "You know, Effie, I don't think I've ever heard you speak about your family."

"There's been no reason to at work," Effie pointed out.

"You're giving up your holiday with them to spend time with me."

Effie shook her head. "I'm not giving up anything. My parents are no longer living and my brother goes skiing every Christmas."

"Does he have a family?"

"He's married, but there's no children."

 _Interesting. So she has no kids in her life at all._

"Did you ever want a family of your own?"

Effie's face went oddly blank. She took a sip from her mug and stared at Haymitch's pretend relatives playing on the snowy lawn, before turning to him. "My fiancé cheated on me; afterwards I put thoughts of having a family behind me."

Haymitch's mouth flew open. "When did all this happen?"

"Before I came to work for you."

He frowned. "You're too young to give up. I don't know about that SOB you were planning to marry. But not all men do that kind of stuff."

"I know," she said, her voice choking up for a moment.

 _That bastard._ "You've done a wonderful job planning this."

"Thank you. I tried to think of something you'd like."

"You hit the nail on the head; the same as you do every time. I wasn't sure at first, but I _am_ enjoying myself."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

She'd never meant to reveal so much of her life to Haymitch.

 _What must he think I am? A silly old maid?_

Maybe that's why they'd worked so well together all these years. They'd both kept their personal lives private.

Cecelia came into the living room. "Excuse me, ma'am, but there's a call for you."

 _Probably Sam._

Cecelia glanced toward the window and watched her children building the snow family. She smiled.

"Looks like your kids are having a good time," Haymitch said.

Cecelia grinned. "I don't think I've seen them so happy since…" Her face turned dark. "I better go back to work."

"I'll be right back Haymitch," Effie said, following Cecelia.

Effie entered the kitchen and reached for the phone. "Putting her hand over the mouthpiece, she called to Cecelia. "If you'd like to go outside and join your children go right ahead."

Cecelia shook her head. "Not now, maybe later. I've still got a few tasks to finish."

"Okay, then." Effie uncovered the receiver.

After her call, she returned to the living room to rejoin Haymitch. "That was Sam. He'll bring the Santa suit out later this afternoon by way of a horse-drawn sleigh that he'll drive out here. It seems the roads are impassible at present to cars without special tires, something about the snowplow not getting out this far. He said he could take us to the Christmas Eve service in the sleigh."

"I haven't been to church in ages," Haymitch admitted. "Are you a church-goer, Effie?"

"I am. It keeps my mind at peace. It helps me to remember there's someone in control of things who can do a far better job than me."

"Oh I know all about a Higher Power," Haymitch said. "We became acquainted many years ago."

Effie's eyebrows rose.

"I don't know if anyone mentioned it to you, but I was a bad drunk when I started the business."

 _What?_

"I didn't know Haymitch. I know you don't drink, but I didn't realize that was the reason."

"Yeah, it was. The girl I was going to marry died unexpectedly. Well, I didn't take it so well."

Effie's voice was soft. "And you never met anyone else?"

"No. I became wed to my company. It's probably the reason it's been so successful.

"But I'm thinking maybe it's time I rethought some stuff." He glanced out the window. "I've been missing out on a lot."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Dalton**_

 _There must be a half-foot of snow at least._

Sam called Myrtle from Thom's farm. "Any chance we could eat later tonight," he said. "Seems like I'll be driving a sleigh out to Snow Mansion to ferry folks out and back to a Christmas Eve church service."

"I already put the turkey into the oven," his wife fumed.

"I'm sorry honey, but I promised the client I'd do this, otherwise they're all stranded out there. I'll be home as quick as I can."

His wife ended the call without saying goodbye.

 _She'll thank me when I get paid._

It had been a miracle that Joe still had a Santa suit in stock at the costume shop. It wasn't a great one, the fire engine red color had faded to an orangey, tomato soup color, but it would do.

But after mentioning to Joe that he needed to take the suit out to the Snow Mansion, his friend had told him it would likely be impossible to get out that far because the roads weren't plowed.

"You ought to go over to Thom's farm. He might loan you one of his draft horses."

Ride a horse out to Snow Mansion? It sounded crazy, but Sam didn't want to get his car stuck in the snow. He hadn't gotten around to putting studded tires on his car this winter. It would be highly inconvenient, plus Myrtle would have a fit.

Sam headed over to Thom's place.

"If your client will pay, you can drive my two-horse sleigh out there. You could give the folks some rides."

"How much?"

"A couple hundred dollars. Just get back here before eight tonight. The missus likes me to take the grandkids out for a spin while she put the gifts under the tree."

"Let me call Effie."

Effie rapidly agreed.

"I need a quick lesson first," Sam told Thom after ending the call. "I've never driven a sleigh before."

"It's not so hard."

Sam made it out to the Mansion by four p.m. The light was already fleeing from the sky. Since the service began at five; Sam figured he had time to make at least two trips to the church, which was a mile down the road. The sleigh could only hold four adults at a time, plus the driver.

He drove the sleigh into the parking lot that bordered the mansion. The little boys came running out of the house first, but the others quickly followed.

"It's Santa Claus," Taiden shouted.

"No it's not," Timmy said. "That man was here yesterday when we cut down the tree."

"I'm Mr. Dalton," Sam said, getting out of the driver's seat. "I'm here to deliver you folks to church."

Thom had given him a sack of sugar cubes. Sam showed the boys how to put a cube on their palms and let the horses lick it up. Once Peeta and Gale appeared to take charge of the boys, Sam removed the Santa suit from the sleigh and went into the house to hand it off to Effie.

"Thanks so much," she said with a smile.

"I don't mean to rush you folks, but if you want to attend the service, we'll have to leave soon," Sam said. "I can only fit four people in the sleigh at a time, so I'll need to make more than one trip."

After a brief huddle, it was decided that Effie and Haymitch would go together first, while Gale, Madge, Katniss, and Peeta would be ready to leave when Sam returned.

"I want a sleigh ride, too," Taiden whined.

"Me, too," Timmy added.

Sam frowned. The kids belonged to Cecelia. Maybe she had other plans for them this Christmas Eve. "How about you ask your mom if she wants a ride. I'll come back after I get everyone to the church and take your mom and sister and you boys out for a short spin."

"Yah!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

The sleigh seats weren't that large, and Gale found himself pushed up close to Madge, a blanket thrown over their laps for warmth.

 _If we hadn't broken up this would be quite cozy._

But now it was awkward, sad even.

 _Damn it. I love her. There will never be anyone else._

He glanced over at Madge. Her face was pink. Was she upset, or was it the cold? They'd spent a lot of time outdoors today. Now that it was getting near dark, the temperature was dropping.

Madge began to shiver, and pulled the blanket higher up onto her lap.

Without thinking, Gale put his arm around her.

She frowned.

"For crying out loud, you're cold, Madge. Hell, I'm cold too."

She bit her lip and looked away, but she didn't shove his arm off her shoulder, which gave him some hope.

On the bench seat ahead of him, Katniss and Peeta chatted with Sam. The driver even handed the reins over to Katniss for a short while, and then to Peeta.

They were soon at the small church. Once they exited the sleigh, everyone went inside.

The heater obviously wasn't working because it was even colder inside the building than it was outside. The room was sparsely decorated. A wooden altar was placed in front of a large cross that hung on the wall. Left of the altar was a lectern; right of it was a small crèche.

There was something in the simplicity of the setting that caused a sense of calm to fall over Gale.

 _Everything will be fine._

That thought floated through his mind, cutting through all the doubts and uncertainty. Katniss led the way and they all followed after her, sitting in the second pew beside Effie and Haymitch. Again, Gale found himself next to Madge.

He wanted to put his arm around her again, but decided against it. Instead he stared at Madge's hands, which she'd set in her lap. He still had the ring he'd bought for her.

 _Is there any hope for reconciliation?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

It didn't take long for the church to be filled. A minister in a white robe appeared in front and read from the Bible. Between readings, carols were sung. Katniss' voice soared.

She'd made her singing debut in a church when she was very young, singing a solo of " _This Little Light of Mine_." But her mother had cast off all things religious after Katniss' father had died in a workplace accident, and Katniss hadn't been in a church since then except to attend the weddings of co-workers.

Still Katniss loved to sing. She'd sung in a chorale in high school and later continued in college. At one time, she'd considered becoming a Music teacher, but her love of reading won out and she'd become a Literature teacher instead.

She settled back into the wooden pew. _I'm having such a nice time. I can't believe I'm getting paid, too._

She glanced at Peeta who sat beside her. He'd worn his costume to the service. Idly she wondered if she would see him after the 26th when the job ended.

 _Why not? At the very least, we're becoming friends. Why shouldn't we stay in touch?_

After the service ended, everyone left the building. People piled into cars that had chains or studded tires, and headed back toward town where the roads were clear. Still, Sam and the sleigh were nowhere in sight.

"Where is he?" Effie asked, wrapping her arms around her chest to stay warm. "He said he'd take us back to the house."

"He mentioned something about taking Cecelia and the kids out for a spin," Katniss remembered. "Maybe he lost track of time. Peeta and I could walk back and tell him the service is over."

Effie's forehead wrinkled. "You want to walk back in the snow?"

"We've both got boots on," Katniss pointed out.

Shiny black boots were part of Peeta's costume; and the boots Katniss had worn were waterproof.

"But it's dark. How will you see?"

Katniss pulled a tiny flashlight attached to a keychain from her pocket. "We can follow the sleigh's tracks down the road. "It's not so far."

Effie looked perturbed. "I don't know…"

"They'll be fine," Haymitch said.

Boldly Katniss reached for Peeta's hand. "We'll be off then."

She aimed the light at the ground as they made their way from the parking lot to the snow-covered road.

As they began their walk through the snow, Katniss spoke.

"I hope you don't mind me volunteering you to walk back with me. But I hate standing around, waiting. Besides after sitting I feel like I need to stretch my legs."

In the darkness, she heard Peeta give a low chuckle. "No, I don't mind. Besides it gives a chance to be alone with you."

A shiver went down Katniss' back, and the cold temperature didn't cause it.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Peeta**_

Maybe the moonlight made Peeta fearless, or perhaps he was so caught up with the idea that he'd finally met "the one" that he'd lost control of his tongue.

"I know we're being paid to put on something of a show, but I can't help wanting to get to know you better."

"Why?" Katniss teased.

"It's not every day I meet a beautiful, single woman. I can't figure out how we never ran into each other before. Dandelion's not _that_ big."

Katniss giggled. "How do you know I'm single? We _are_ getting paid to act."

His stomach dropped _. No, no, no. That can't be right._

"If you were with anyone, he'd have to be nuts to spend Christmas apart from you. And you seem too smart to be involved with a fool."

He could see by the upward curve of her cheeks that she approved of his answer.

"You have an astounding voice. You could be on one of those TV singing shows and win."

 _What are you doing? Don't give her any ideas to leave you and Dandelion behind._

Fortunately Katniss laughed. "Thank you, but I'm happy being a teacher."

"About that, I was wondering…" Peeta began, when they heard the jingle of bells.

Katniss lifted the flashlight from the snowy ground in front of them, and directed it down the road. The sleigh was coming.

"We need to get to the side, or those horses will mow us down."

She slipped her small, soft hand into his large, calloused one for a second time, and they moved to what they thought might be the shoulder of the road.

"Hey Sam," she shouted, as the sleigh drew closer.

"Woah," Sam called out, stopping the rig next to them.

"They're waiting for you back at the church," Katniss said.

"Want me to take you two to the house first?"

"No, we're fine walking." She swung her hand that was attached to Peeta's upward so that Sam could see the connection between them.

It was silly stuff, but still Peeta couldn't help but be thrilled at Katniss' gesture.

 _It must be real. We don't need to playact in front of Sam._

Sam waved at them as he took off.

"Hope you don't mind me speaking for you again."

"I don't mind. I'm enjoying our walk."

They strolled in silence for a minute, as Peeta scrambled to think of something to say. His thoughts were so feverish he couldn't even remember what he was talking about before the sleigh appeared.

"Peeta, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why are you wearing a costume?"

He groaned. "The clothes I wore today in the snow got so wet that I had to put this outfit back on."

"But didn't you pack any extra clothes?"

"No. I was under the impression that it was some kind of Dickens' Christmas, he wrote that book about Scrooge, but I guess you know that being a Literature teacher."

Katniss giggled. "That's actually funny. I have to tell you, though, that you wear your outfit well."

 _She likes me._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge sat in the back seat of the sleigh squashed next to Gale. Sitting so close to him on the ride to church had been awkward, but now she was too tired to care.

 _I'm exhausted._

She knew a big dinner was planned for the evening. She wished she could excuse herself and go straight to bed, but she didn't have any choice. It seemed ironic that she couldn't take a rest, especially since a big part of the Christmas story was about a tired, pregnant woman.

 _I'm getting paid to be here. I have to go along with the program._

Unconsciously she found herself leaning into Gale's side.

 _It's only normal. His body feels as natural to me as my own._

She could smell the traces of the aftershave he used combined with his body's own natural scent. The combination of the two was oddly comforting, and tears came unbidden.

She blinked rapidly, glad for the dark. _Why am I so emotional these days?_

"Are you cold, Madge?" Gale asked.

"A little."

He put his arm around her and she sank down into it.

 _Why is he being so nice to me? Because he's getting paid?_

She closed her eyes and began to doze off. Soft lips pressed against her forehead.

 _Did Gale kiss me?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

A momentary glance over his shoulder and Haymitch caught Gale kissing Madge on the forehead.

 _What's that kid up to? Could Madge be the girl he was talking about yesterday?_

Haymitch turned forward to ask Sam about the horses, ruminating on the fact that Effie's grand plan might have inadvertently reunited the couple. It struck Haymitch suddenly that this holiday was opening up more eyes than his own.

He helped Effie out of the sleigh, and linked his arm through hers so she wouldn't stumble in the snow as they made their way back to the house.

Haymitch was looking forward to dinner. Sae was a talented woman. Her delicious meals reminded him of his mother's – hearty food that stuck to the bones.

 _Maybe I should hire myself a personal chef._

"Why don't you relax, while I talk to Sae about dinner," Effie said.

"Okay." Haymitch went into the living room and sat in the chair by the tree that he'd already claimed as his own.

He hadn't felt so at ease - well since he was young. For a bunch of strangers everyone seemed to be getting along. No fights, no outbursts. Even the little kids were well-behaved.

And that church service was just the right mix of scripture and song to cheer people up and put them in a festive mood.

 _How did Effie know this is what I needed? I didn't even know it myself._

The thought crossed his mind that after tomorrow it would all be over. He'd be back to his penthouse eating canned soup and cold cereal, and spending all his spare time reviewing work documents.

 _I need to find some way to incorporate my favorite elements of this vacation into my daily life. Of course, I'll have Effie get everyone's address. I'd like to stay in touch._

Effie came into the living room. "We'll be eating in fifteen minutes. Cecelia just set the table. She's dressing the kids now. Maybe after dinner you can put on the Santa suit and make a guest appearance."

"Sounds like a plan. Do you have any gifts I can give them?"

"Yes. I'll put them by your chair."

"You know I've never dressed up like Santa Claus before."

"You'll do a great job," Effie said. "Now you'll have to excuse me. I'm going to change for dinner."

Haymitch stood up. "Guess I ought to do the same."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

She changed out of her pantsuit and put on a red dress. She re-applied her make-up and went through the stack of gifts that sat in the corner of the room, pulling out one for each child, and putting it into a bag.

She thought about Haymitch's story about his mother allowing him to open one present on Christmas Eve. Effie reached for one more gift, and added it to the bag.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Sam**_

"Uncle Sam, where were you?" his ten-year-old great-niece asked. "You missed dinner."

"Working honey."

"On Christmas Eve?" The look on her face showed she didn't believe him.

"It's true. A woman is holding a big holiday event at Snow Mansion. It's a fake family reunion. I hired everyone except for the guest of honor."

"It sounds weird."

"It _is_ kind of strange," Sam agreed. "The guest of honor is wealthy, but he has no family or friends to spend the holidays with, so his secretary dreamed up this scheme to make him happy."

"Is it working?"

"You know I think it might be. At any rate, everyone seems to be getting along. And I may have inadvertently played matchmaker with one couple."

 _There was something about the way Peeta and Katniss were looking at each other as they walked through the snow._

"Good thing you have a license to perform weddings," his niece, the child's mother, said."

"Doubt there will be any wedding. They'll all be clearing out day after tomorrow."

Still it warmed his heart to think that he might have played a small part in bringing a young couple together. He looked toward his patient wife, who'd kept his dinner warm in the oven until he got home.

 _Everyone deserves a happy life._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

 _Damn. What was I thinking? I never should have kissed her._

But in that moment, snug and cozy in the sleigh, he'd forgotten that they'd ever broke up.

He waited for her eyes to open and a rebuke to pour forth from her lips, but Madge's eyelids fluttered and a tiny smile appeared on her face as her head sank lower on his shoulder.

When they'd arrived at the house, she woke up suddenly, looking confused. But when she caught sight of him, her expression changed. She rushed out of the sled toward the house.

 _She's embarrassed._

Effie called them all to dinner not long after they got back. Gale didn't change his clothes and neither did Peeta, but the women did. Madge was wearing a different dress, again loose.

 _Her body looks different, her breasts are larger and her butt is more pronounced. She looks pretty sexy, actually._

Like the previous evening's meal, cards were set in place indicating where everyone was to sit. Tonight Gale was seated to the right of Haymitch, who was at the head of the table. Madge was at his left and his faux children, Tricia and Timmy were left of Madge.

It was a regular Thanksgiving-type feast. Roasted turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes casserole with melted marshmallows on top, a variety of vegetables. The food was set out family-style in the center of the table.

"Sae, it looks delicious," Haymitch said.

"Thanks," the cook answered. She stood up suddenly, her eyes falling upon Cecelia. "We forgot the drinks."

 _I could sure use a drink._

Already Madge was ignoring him again and focusing on the little girl at her side.

 _Must be pissed off because of the kiss._

Cecelia sprang up and the two women left the room; both returning quickly. Sae carried a pitcher filled with cider; Cecelia carried a carton of milk.

As the women made their way around the table, milk was poured out for the kids, and cider for the adults.

Madge refused the cider and requested milk, "the same as Tricia."

 _That's weird. She's not a milk drinker._

He caught Katniss' eye at that moment. She had a funny look on her face.

Gale took a sip of the cider. It was fresh and tasty, but there wasn't a drop of alcohol in it that he could taste.

 _Maybe it's subtle and I'll feel the buzz a little later._

He turned back to enjoying his meal. Haymitch seemed in particularly good spirits, asking Gale about his day job.

"I'm head mechanic at Dandelion Motors," Gale explained.

"So you're good at figuring out what's wrong and then fixing it?" Haymitch asked.

"I never thought about it that way, but I guess I am."

"How did you get interested in cars?"

Gale launched into a story about an old car that he'd fixed up when he was a teen. Haymitch listened politely, but midway into the story the older man cocked his head toward Madge.

"Is she the one you were talking about yesterday?"

Gale's face grew warm. _What the hell? Madge is sitting right next to me. She'll hear you._

Gale's head twisted abruptly to see if Madge was listening in, but she was paying him no attention. She was turned in her seat spoon-feeding Tricia mashed potatoes.

Gale turned back to Haymitch, his voice low. "Yeah, that's her."

"I guess it would seem a bad piece of luck to you, but who knows maybe you can turn things around."

"I don't know," Gale muttered.

"You two looked cozy enough in the sleigh."

 _There was that._

"Now about that car engine you were rebuilding," Haymitch shifted the conversation back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

As soon as Madge requested milk, Katniss knew. She'd witnessed the dietary changes of expectant co-workers in the teacher's lounge at Dandelion Middle School often enough to figure it out.

 _Madge is pregnant._

It explained everything. Her choice of clothing. Her attraction to Tricia. _Her need to practice for being a mom_.

 _She probably didn't know she was expecting when she broke up with Gale. I wonder if her parents know._

The Undersees were very traditional people. They wouldn't take the news well.

 _Maybe they disowned her and that's why she didn't go to Europe with them._

"What time will Santa Claus get here?" Taiden asked. "What will he bring me? Will he know that I'm not at home?"

Katniss turned her head to the child who sat between her and Peeta. Her fake husband had quick answers for the boy. "He won't arrive until you fall asleep. He'll bring you something special. He knows exactly where you are tonight."

"You know a lot about Santa Claus," Katniss teased. "It sounds as if you two are personal buddies."

Peeta chuckled. "We're closer than you know."

As the child turned back to picking at his food, Peeta leaned over Taiden's head to whisper to Katniss. "I played Santa at the bakery last week. It was a promotion to sell our specialty Christmas items."

"What holiday goodies does Mellark's make?"

"Stollen bread, almond kringle, and gingerbread are just a few."

"Sounds yummy."

"If you stop by in a couple of days, you can get some pfeffernusse cookies. We make them until New Year's.

"I'll be sure to do that."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

 _I am definitely going to see Katniss after the 26_ _th_ _even if I have to go to her school and bring her baked goods dressed in this crazy getup._

He'd never met anyone like her. Pretty. Smart. Laughing with him, instead of at him for his clothing mix up. Peeta also liked that she had a healthy appetite.

 _A baker's wife should like carbs._

Already he could see their children. Dark-haired like her, with blue eyes like him. They'd be adorable.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge nibbled at the last bits of food on her plate when a sudden wave of nausea came over her.

 _This can't be happening. Not now. I haven't had morning sickness in over a month._

She put down her fork. "Excuse me," she murmured. Her hand automatically flew upward to cover her mouth.

From across the table, Katniss caught her eye. A sympathetic expression appeared on Katniss' face.

"Are you okay?" Gale asked.

But his words were lost as she rushed from the table and toward the downstairs bathroom. Entering quickly, she was able to lift the toilet lid before her stomach emptied out.

Her throat burned and tears formed at the corner of her eyes.

 _Why is this happening now?_

Turning on the faucet, she ran her hands under the tap, wiping at her mouth.

She stared in the mirror. Bloodshot eyes. Blotchy cheeks.

 _I look awful._

She took a deep breath. _I should go back out there. But what is everyone going to think?_

A knock sounded at the door.

 _It's probably Effie telling me I'm fired._

"Just a moment," Madge said. She turned on the water again and dipped her head to drink from the faucet and rinse out her mouth. Then she straightened her hair. She opened the door.

Gale stood in front of her. "Are you all right, Madge?"

 _I'm so tired of doing this alone._

She reached for his steady hand and pulled him inside the bathroom. "We need to talk."

His eyebrows went up, but he shut the door behind him.

"I'm pregnant."

His eyes glazed over, and his mouth fell open.

"It's yours… our child."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

Conversation at the table stopped for a moment after Madge ran off.

From the other end of the table, Effie took her napkin from her lap and set it on the table. "I'll see if she's okay."

"No, I'll go, Effie," Gale said, jumping to his feet.

"Guess, all families have their drama, huh Effie," Haymitch said, after Gale left the room. He wanted to ease her mind. She'd gone to a lot of effort to make this Christmas special for him. He didn't want her to feel badly if the family she'd created wasn't perfect.

 _No family has it altogether. And I'm right about all families having their little scenes, too._

At least he'd heard that from some of his executives over the years.

 _I could have written a book about Plutarch's divorce antics._

Taiden pushed his plate away from him. "Mama, I need to go to bed right now so Santa can come."

From across the table, Cecelia warned him. "He won't come if you don't finish your dinner."

The child frowned, but he reached for his plate and ate another spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Haymitch caught Effie's eye. "If you'll all excuse me, I think I'll check on the others." He looked around the table. "Enjoy your meal. Have seconds. I'll meet you at the tree, later."

Haymitch stood up. He had no intentions of looking for Gale and Madge – they could figure things out for themselves. He needed to put on his Santa suit.

Once he was dressed and properly disguised with a fake white beard and fake wig that fitted under his red cap, he went into the living room and sat down. He noticed a bag of gifts next to the chair.

 _Effie must have placed it here._

He picked it up and looked through it, finding one gift for each child and a gift for himself, as well.

 _Interesting._

He didn't have to wait long for the others to arrive. The children came in first. "You came Santa," Taiden shrieked. Timmy picked up his pace as well, while Tricia slowed hers, stopped and eyed him nervously.

Taiden leaped onto Haymitch's lap and wrapped his arms around him.

 _Hasn't the boy realized who I am?_

But clearly, he hadn't. The child turned to Peeta. "I didn't have to go to sleep for Santa to come." Turning back to Haymitch, he asked, "Did you bring presents for me?"

Haymitch chuckled. "I have one gift for each of you now. You'll find the rest under the tree tomorrow morning."

He reached into the sack and handed the gift to Taiden. Timmy came closer and accepted his gift, while Cecelia had to carry her daughter to Haymitch to receive hers.

When the children opened the packages, they found matching pajamas.

Haymitch looked to Effie and grinned.

 _Just like my mom._

There was one present still left in the bag. Haymitch pulled it out.

"That's for you Santa," Effie said. "You can open it now.

In front of everyone, Haymitch unwrapped the soft package to find a red bathrobe.

"Now you have pajamas too," Taiden said.

"That I do, son." He threw a grateful look in Effie's direction. "This robe's my favorite color, too."

"But you can't go to sleep yet," Timmy insisted. "You have to deliver all the presents to everyone in the world."

"You're right."

"Where's your sleigh? Where are the reindeer?" Taiden blurt out. "Can we see them?"

 _Oh crap._

Haymitch scanned the room looking for help from the others.

 _Why doesn't the kid's mother say something?_

But it was Peeta who spoke out. "You can't see them, Taiden. He's used his cloaking devise to hide the sleigh, and the reindeer are wearing their harness of invisibility."

 _Cloaking device? Harness of invisibility? That boy's a fast, creative thinker. Reminds me of myself when I was younger._

"I think it's time you said good-night to Santa," Cecelia said. "He's got a busy night ahead of him. Besides you need to put on your new pajamas."

"You're bringing more presents for us, aren't you?" Taiden asked.

"Taiden," Cecelia hissed.

Haymitch chuckled. "Yes, son. But first you need to go to sleep."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Effie**_

Cecelia took her children to bed and Sae withdrew to clear the table, leaving Effie alone with Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta.

 _Where are Gale and Madge?_

They'd never returned after exiting abruptly from dinner. They'd missed Haymitch's debut as Santa, and the gift-giving scene with the children.

 _I haven't heard any raised voices. Have they reconciled?_

It crossed Effie's mind that Madge and Gale might - at this very moment - be consummating their reunion in one of the bedrooms at Snow Mansion.

 _How rude would that be when I'm paying them good money to pretend they are Haymitch's family? They should be spending time with him, not doing heaven knows what together._

Peeta caught Effie's eye. "How about Katniss and I take care of the dinner clean-up so Sae can take a break?"

 _Those two seem awfully friendly, as well._

"That's kind of you," Effie said. "I guess it would be all right."

Peeta and Katniss departed, leaving Effie alone with Haymitch.

She took a seat and faced her boss. "I feel like I failed. Everyone's run off and left you alone on Christmas Eve.

"Nonsense Effie. Families with adult children don't sit around on Christmas Eve singing carols and roasting chestnuts. Everyone does their own thing."

"Do you think so?"

"Well, that's what I've heard from Heavensbee and Boggs. Both of them complain that even though they get together, they hardly spend much time with the kids."

 _Maybe, but your pretend kids are getting paid to be here._

"Did you ever miss not having children?" The words were out of Effie's mouth before she even thought about them.

 _I shouldn't have asked such a personal question._

Haymitch removed his fake beard, red cap, and wig. "Not really. I don't think I was cut out to be a dad."

"But you did so well with those children. You were a natural."

"But I got stumped when Taiden asked about the sleigh and the reindeer."

"You would have thought of something if Peeta hadn't piped up."

"I don't know about that," Haymitch said. "But I have no doubt you would be a great mother. Your kids would be doing a million things that kids do these days, and you would manage their schedule perfectly, the same as you manage mine."

 _Is he thinking of me as if I'm his mother?_

"And you would have pampered their father, the same as you pamper me."

"I'm paid to take care of you."

"True, but you definitely go above and beyond."

 _Because I care for you. I only wish you'd figure that out._

"If you don't have any plans for this evening, why don't you join me in putting together a puzzle," Haymitch suggested. "I brought a new one with me. Let me change out of this suit first, though. I don't want to upset the kids if one of them comes downstairs and sees Santa Claus doing a puzzle when he's supposed to be flying around the world delivering presents."

She smiled at his concernfor Cecelia's children _. He would have been a good father._

Haymitch returned five minutes later with a box bearing a colorful photo on front. He set it onto the coffee table.

Effie's eyes grew big. "It's got 1,000 pieces."

"We better get started then."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Dalton**_

After an exhausting day, Sam dreamed of dancing sugar plums that morphed into Mickey Mouse who was driving a sleigh down a sandy beach. He rolled over and woke for a brief moment, a thought standing out in his mind. _This Abernathy gig is turning into be my personal gold mine._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

 _It's your child._ The words echoed through Gale's head as he stared at Madge. With her tear-stained face, messy hair, and now curvy figure she looked different from the slender, polished woman who'd captured his heart years ago. Still, he couldn't help but feel a wave of deep affection sweep over him.

 _No wonder she's been having a difficult time._

The logical part of his brain told him he should be angry with her for keeping this news a secret, but the emotional part didn't agree.

 _Madge has surprised me with the best Christmas present ever. I'm going to be a dad._

"Why are you so upset? It's wonderful news."

Her face crumpled. "I'm pregnant, and I'm all alone."

 _Whose fault is that?_ But he knew pointing out the obvious would only make things worse.

"When's the baby due?"

"June 4th."

"How're your parents taking the news?" _I'm surprised the Undersees haven't come after me with a pitchfork._

"I haven't told them, yet. They don't even know we broke up."

"You haven't told them _anything_?"

"I was going to tell them about us, but then I found out I was expecting and I didn't want to ruin their Christmas trip to Europe."

Gale tilted his head and eyed her mid-section. He could see it now, a slight swelling of her abdomen.

"How long were you planning to hide the pregnancy? You're dressing differently than before."

"Do I look pregnant already?"

 _Dangerous territory._

"Not pregnant exactly. But I did notice your chest was bigger."

 _She'll like that. She's always complained about her small breasts._

"That's what you noticed? My boobs? Is that what you look at first, a woman's breasts?"

"It's not like that, Madge."

"I bet you've been having a fine time with the ladies of Dandelion now that we're not together."

Gale felt himself growing warm. His jaw muscles clenched. "What? If you remember how it went down, you broke up with me. It wasn't the other way around. And I haven't been out with anyone.

"No, I've spent every spare moment I've had painting the inside and outside of my mother's house. Ma wanted a red accent wall in the entry. Do you know how many coats of paint it took? Seven damn coats."

Her face softened. "I'm sorry."

 _How does she do that? Make me furious one minute, and then make me melt the next._

"Look, even if we're not together, I want to be Dad to my child," Gale said. "And of course, I'll help out financially, too."

He threw his arms around her and pulled her close. Surprisingly, she allowed it. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at their reflection in the bathroom mirror.

 _Oh Madge, what's going to become of us?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

Sae had already filled the two dishwashers when Katniss and Peeta entered the kitchen.

"We can take it from here," Peeta said.

"Are you sure?" Sae asked. "Cecelia said she would help."

"She's putting her kids to bed." Katniss said. "Why don't you turn in, too?"

The older woman's face broke out into a smile. "Thanks. I've been on my feet all day." She untied the apron she wore, took it off, and hung it on a hook near the door.

"Hope you don't mind me volunteering us for kitchen duty," Peeta said, as they surveyed the mess in front of them. Dirty pots and pans lined the counter, and the sink was filled with serving bowls that were too big for the dishwashers.

"I don't." _It gives us a chance to talk more._

Peeta washed; while Katniss dried.

"So what would you be doing right now if you weren't here?" Katniss asked.

Peeta had taken off his frock coat and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to his elbows. His muscular forearms enthralled her.

"I'd be at my parents' house wishing I were someplace else."

She frowned. "Don't you get along with your family?"

"I get along with everyone fine, that is except for my mother. She doesn't approve of my life."

"What's not to approve?"

His cheeks took on a pinkish tint. "Everything according to her. She's always been a meddler – a regular Mrs. Bennett."

"No," Katniss exclaimed, appreciating Peeta's _Pride and Prejudice_ reference.

 _I can picture her exactly._

"Oh, yes," Peeta insisted. "Both my brothers are married now and have kids, so she doesn't have as much say in their lives any more. Besides they don't work at the bakery. But I'm not married, and I work with her."

"You don't live with her, too, do you?"

 _Please, no._

Peeta chuckled. "I don't. I wouldn't have any kind of life if I did that, would I?"

"What kind of life do you have away from your mother?"

 _Don't be a player. Don't be a player. Don't be a player._

"I paint."

Katniss breathed a sigh of relief. "What, like houses?"

Peeta shook his head. "Canvases."

"You're an artist?"

"I guess so, although I don't think of myself like that."

"Why do you work at the bakery then?"

"My painting is a hobby. I've sold a few pieces, but it's not like I can support myself doing it. Besides I'm going to take over the bakery from my parents after they retire to keep it in the family."

"That makes sense."

"Anyway I get along fine with my Dad," Peeta added. "What about you, Katniss? What would you be doing if you weren't here?"

"I usually spend Christmas with my mom and my sister, but they're in California this year so I'd probably be at Gale's mom's house.

"Are your families very close?"

"They are. Our dad's died together in a work-related explosion."

Peeta stopped washing the pan in his hands and turned to give Katniss a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry.

"It was a long time ago," she said, softly. "We had to move in with Gale's family for a while because of the bills. But when my mom was cleaning through my dad's stuff, she found out he'd taken out a large insurance policy. It was enough for her to pay off our house and go back to school. She got her nursing degree. I became a teacher, and my sister's in medical school in California."

"That's some story. Really inspiring."

"That's the short version. The longer version includes a lot of stops and starts – depression and counseling, and trying to make sense of everything."

"I think _trying to make sense of everything_ is universal," Peeta said. "Wanting to live your own life and not be a pawn in someone else's game."

Katniss nodded. "And knowing that no matter what happens, life can be good."

Peeta handed her the last pot to dry, and then released the stopper to empty the water from the sink.

 _Wow, I didn't expect our conversation to get so deep, so fast._

"I'm curious about something." The expression on Peeta's face was serious. "What's your favorite color?"

She chuckled at his silly question, glad that he was steering their conversation into lighter territory.

"Green. What's yours?"

"Orange?"

"Like traffic cone orange?"

"No, soft and muted like the sunset."

Katniss lay the wet dishtowel on the counter to dry. "We should probably join the others now."

They stood in the entrance to the living room. A cozy scene lay before them. Effie's and Haymitch's heads were bowed over a scattering of puzzle pieces spread out on the coffee table.

"I don't think those two shapes don't fit together," Haymitch said.

Effie forehead wrinkled. "Well they should. The picture matches up perfectly."

 _You go, Effie. Show Haymitch that he can't get along without you._

Katniss tapped Peeta's shoulder. "I don't think we're wanted here," she whispered, taking a step back.

"You're right. I have an idea, though."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

"I could show you the greenhouse," Peeta said.

Katniss agreed. "I noticed some flashlights in a drawer in the kitchen."

After retrieving the flashlights, they put on their coats and left the house through the kitchen door.

As they walked, Peeta explained, "Mellark's has catered some weddings here at Snow Mansion. We set up the food in the greenhouse. They raise roses in it year round."

When they reached the greenhouse, Peeta lifted a small, snow-covered statue of an angel that stood next to the door, and bent down to pick up a key. "My dad and I have had to let ourselves in a few times."

He unlocked the door, opened it, and placed the key into his coat pocket. A wall of warm air met them, along with a sweet, floral fragrance.

"Ladies, first."

Katniss stepped inside, and Peeta followed. He switched on the overhead light, and closed the door.

"It's surprisingly warm in here," Katniss said, removing her coat.

"It is," Peeta said, doing likewise. As Katniss made her way from rosebush to rosebush, reading the name tag on each plant, Peeta grew unexpectedly giddy.

 _I haven't felt like this in forever._

After making her way down one long table of plants and up another, she turned to him. "They're pretty, but I'm not a big fan of roses."

"Why not?"

"Thorns. I prefer simple flowers, like daisies and wildflowers, heck even dandelions.

"Dandelions are weeds."

"That's only because everyone gets mad when they mysteriously appear in the center of a perfectly manicured lawn. I think they're sweet reminders that life is full of surprises. Besides they're chock full of nutrition. Have you ever eaten a dandelion salad?"

"Can't say I have."

"You should try it sometime. It's good."

Eventually they made their way back to the door. Katniss pulled on the knob.

"It's stuck. Do you need to unlock it from this side?"

"Here let me try," Peeta said, giving the knob a twist and a hard tug. But the door remained immovable. He pointed the flashlight toward the slim crack between the door and its frame. The crossbar remained down. "That's weird. It's locked."

"You have the key don't you?" He could hear the nervousness in Katniss' voice.

"I do. But there isn't a keyhole on this side."

A momentary panic shot though him. He closed his eyes trying to remember if this had ever happened before during catering events.

 _We always propped the door open. We never shut it until we left._

He turned to Katniss. "I'm sorry, but I think we're locked in. The door can only be opened from the outside, and I have the key."

 _Well, you wanted the chance to spend time alone with her. Now you've got the entire night._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge looked at the bedside clock. It was past midnight. Behind her, Gale lay snoring.

 _That sound used to annoy me so much. Who knew I'd miss it._

He'd walked her back to her room, and she agreed to let him in so they could talk more about the baby.

She had expected him to be angry at the news, but his reaction was different than she'd expected. If anything, he was happier than she'd seen him in a long while.

 _What a relief._

It was _so nice_ to finally talk to _someone_ about the child _because she hadn't told a soul_ and her doctor could care less about all the little things that were so fascinating to Madge, like how she kept waking up in the middle of the night starving and needing to eat a sandwich, or how easily she grew tired, or her constant need to pee.

But Gale listened to everything. _And he even asked thoughtful questions._

When he asked to put his hand on her belly, _she couldn't say no; it was_ his _child growing right underneath her own skin._ But that touch, had led to a kiss or two, which had eventually led to him curling up around her side to spoon as if they'd never parted.

 _He's not perfect by any means, but then he's not the jerk I made him out to be either._

Madge pulled his arm off her waist and rolled over to face him. She reached out to touch the front of his hair. In the dim light of the room, she saw a small smile appear on Gale's face. Tenderness washed over her.

 _What am I doing? Are we back together now?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

They stayed up until 11 p.m. working on the puzzle, stopping after a quarter of the pieces had found a home.

Haymitch called it quits when Effie began to yawn.

"Do you want to put it away?" she asked.

"Let's leave it out. Maybe we can work on it tomorrow, or perhaps the others would like to give it a try."

Effie bid him good night and excused herself.

Haymitch went to his room, thinking about what a great team he and Effie made.

Even though he was sixty, he was sadly lacking experience in dealing with women.

 _I guess I've been avoiding the fairer sex even since I lost Maysilee._

His heart had been broken a long time ago. But the deep wounds he'd experienced were gone now, only numbness remained.

However tonight as they'd worked on the puzzle, the strangest sensation had come over him. It was as if he'd put on glasses and suddenly saw his secretary in a completely new light.

The way she'd looked when she put that jigsaw together had intrigued him. The slope of her nose, the set of her tongue positioned neatly between her teeth as she concentrated, an errant curl that hung over her forehead that she kept pushing away from her right eye.

 _She's lovely._ A second thought followed. _She has an entire world inside her that I know nothing about._

Was he too old for love? Was Effie interested in him or was she only being nice because he was her boss?

 _I should be thinking about retirement instead of considering whether to start something with my secretary who's a good fifteen years younger than me._

He pulled down the comforter and climbed into bed doubtful he'd get much sleep tonight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

The travel alarm woke her at five a.m. Effie hoped Cecelia's kids slept later on Christmas morning because she still had to set their gifts under the tree – in truth, presents for everyone at the house needed to be put out.

She got out of bed, debating whether or not to dress, but decided it would be okay to do everything in her bathrobe.

 _Everyone is likely still sleeping._

She tiptoed downstairs in her bare feet, over and over again to carry down the packages that had been stored in her bedroom.

Effie had begun to arrange them under the tree, when she heard a cough behind her.

Startled she turned, and let out a small scream. Haymitch was standing before her. "Merry Christmas, Effie."

 _I'm in my bathrobe with uncombed hair and no make-up, while he's fully dressed._

Effie's cheeks grew warm. "I wasn't expecting you to be up so early. Merry Christmas to you, too."

"I can help you with that," he said pointing to the stack of gifts.

"All right."

He came closer. "What's inside this stuff?"

"I hope you don't mind but I raided the supply closet at work," she admitted.

His eyebrows went up. "You wrapped up reams of paper and boxes of pens?"

A fit of laughter came upon her. As she wiped away the tears, she explained. "No. Remember when Internal Communications ran that employee contest and gave away iPads to the Sales staff. There were some left over, so I took them. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. They might as well get used."

Together they made quick work of arranging the gifts under the tree.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Dalton**_

Sam woke to the excited cries of his niece's children as they raced to the Christmas tree. He rolled over and tapped his wife on the shoulder. "They're up. We might as well get up, too, and join them."

Myrtle groaned. "Are you sorry we never had kids?"

"I don't know."

They'd certainly given it a try when they were younger, but Myrtle had an abnormally shaped uterus, and his sperm count had been low.

 _It just wasn't in the cards for us. Still we've had a good life. Besides we helped raise Myrtle's niece after the girl's parents split up._

"Are you sorry?" he asked her.

"Not on days like today. I _like_ sleeping in."

Idly Sam wondered how things were going at Snow Mansion. They had three kids in that house, and though they were cute as could be, those boys were a handful.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

"Let's go, let's go," a child shrieked. "It's Christmas. Santa Claus came."

Gale startled awake, thinking the child must be right outside the bedroom door. His eyes fell on Madge who slept by his side. Memories of the previous evening flooded over him.

 _I'm gonna be a dad._

He'd followed Madge back to her room to talk. Eventually, she'd let him kiss her, although they'd both stopped before anything got heated. Instead they'd stripped down to their underwear, climbed into bed and cuddled, and then talked some more.

 _It was nice, even without any sex._

Madge's eyelids fluttered open. "Was that Taiden?"

"I think so," Gale said. "Although it could be Timmy. Their voices are similar. Can you believe in a few years, we're going to get woken up like this on Christmas morning?"

A funny look came over Madge, and Gale felt his stomach twist.

 _Maybe I'm assuming this all wrong. We didn't talk about getting back together._

A worse thought came over him.

 _She'll have custody and I'll be the visiting dad. Or she'll find someone else and I'll have to share my child with some other guy._

Unsettled, Gale threw the blanket off, and sat up. "I'm going to go to my room and get some clean clothes." He got out of bed, gathered up the clothing from where he dropped it on the floor the previous evening, and walked to the door.

"Make sure no one sees you come out of my room in your underwear," Madge said.

Gale turned back to her, pleased to see a half smile on her face.

"It's okay. We're supposed to be married, remember."

Still he opened the door a crack and peered out to make sure the kids weren't in the hallway.

"Merry Christmas," Madge called out.

"Merry Christmas to you, too. I'll meet you downstairs."

 _As soon as I get dressed, I'm going to find Katniss and get her opinion of everything. I need to be sure of Madge. Katniss might have some ideas about what my next move should be._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

Before Katniss' eyes opened, she felt an unusual, but welcome weight round her mid-section - Peeta's arm. They'd both tried to figure out a way to get out of the greenhouse the previous evening, but they couldn't make the door unlock.

"I don't want to break any glass, because I don't want to pay to replace it," Katniss said.

Peeta agreed.

Eventually, they decided to sleep in the building, on a canvas tarp.

"They'll notice we're missing in the morning, find us, and get us out," Katniss said.

Carefully she pulled Peeta's arm off her waist, trying not to wake him, and sat up. _What time is it?_

From the position of the morning sun she guessed it was at least 7:30 a.m. Surely someone in the house was up by now – the children at the very least.

 _Kids get up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning. At least Prim and I did._

Hadn't anyone noticed that she and Peeta were missing?

Her eyes fell upon him. They'd talked for hours. She now knew everything about Peeta's job, his family, and his non-existent love-life, _assuming he was being truthful about that_.

He, in turn, knew the same about her. She'd even confessed that it was his costume that had caught her eye at first, although she left out the part where she liked the way the garments hugged his body.

"Maybe I should start dressing regularly like this," he'd joked.

It was the kind of _first date_ talk that left her giddy, spilling over with fantasies about a future together. But they weren't on a date; they were simply locked in a greenhouse together. Now in the morning light, she wondered if they would even see each other after tomorrow.

 _Did he act like a complete gentleman because he's not interested in me?_

The thought of him not becoming a part of her life after these past few days _was_ disappointing.

Katniss stood up. _I hope someone rescues us soon. I need to pee._

She paced the greenhouse, taking note of the roses in the morning light. _It seems weird to see them flowering in winter._

Katniss came to the door and gave it a tug. _Open, damn you._

If she hadn't been holding on to the knob, she would have fallen over when the door flew open.

"Peeta," she gasped. "The door opened."

From across the greenhouse, he groaned at the sound of his name. His eyes opened and his head turned in the direction of the door. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know. I just turned the knob. Maybe it was frozen stuck last night because of the cold."

She stepped outside the greenhouse and surveyed the surroundings before returning inside to Peeta. "That must be it. It's much warmer. The snow's melting."

 _I really need to get out of here and find a bathroom._

"I'll see you inside." Katniss dashed out of the greenhouse and headed for the mansion, entering through the front door. The door to the downstairs bathroom was closed.

 _Crap._

She hurried past the living room, noticing the kids were opening packages. Silver paper was strewn across the carpet.

Katniss reached the bottom of the stairs when she met Gale.

He grabbed at her arm. "I need to talk with you. It's important."

She shook his hand away. "Not now. I need to pee or I'll explode."

"You don't have to be so rude."

Katniss sped past him, taking the steps two at a time, racing for the bathroom.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

 _The door opened by itself?_

Peeta was both surprised and relieved that they were able to get out of the greenhouse so easily. He stood up and folded the canvas tarp.

Last night had been wonderful, but maybe Katniss hadn't felt the same, considering the way she'd bolted so quickly without even waiting for him to join her.

He'd woken up at his usual 3 a.m time, and watched her sleep for a couple of hours before he'd dozed off again.

 _I should have asked her out for New Year's Eve. I wanted to._ But he knew why he didn't. It would have been too awkward if she rejected him while they were trapped together in the greenhouse.

 _I'll ask her today. We have a spark. Surely she must feel it, too._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge got out of the warm shower. Holding the towel around her backside, she studied her naked figure in the mirror.

 _Gale's right about my breasts. They're bigger._

She was relieved she'd told him about the baby, but confused about the status of their relationship now that he knew. His comment in bed had equally warmed her heart, as much as it had unsettled her.

 _We need to talk about ourselves, and our relationship._

A loud pounding sounded on the door. Madge dropped the towel, and put on her robe before opening it.

Katniss stood in front of her.

"I suppose Gale told you."

"He didn't tell me anything," Katniss said, sounding irritated. "Could I use the bathroom right now. It's an emergency."

Madge took in Katniss' appearance. She was wearing the same dress she'd worn at dinner, but it was very wrinkled, flecks of mascara had collected around her eyes, and her hair was a mess.

 _What has she been up to? She looks like she never made it to her bed last night._

"Here, it's yours." Madge gathered her things and exited the bathroom to get dressed in her bedroom.

She wondered if breakfast has been set out in the dining room yet. After being sick the previous evening, her appetite was back in full form.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

He sat in his favorite armchair watching the children open the gifts they'd set out. Cecelia had also carried in a small sack of presents when she brought the children down; Effie placed them around the tree while the children were occupied with the first round of gifts.

After Taiden opened a box containing a Lego kit, he came bounding up to Haymitch. "Can we put this together now?"

"Sure, I'll help you. But you still have more things to open."

The boy shoved the kit into Haymitch's hands, and returned to the pile of gifts.

From across the room Haymitch caught the eyes of his secretary, and exchanged a grin. Moments like this were priceless. After living with these kids for the past couple of days, he almost felt as if he could be their _real_ grandfather.

 _This is exactly what I needed – to be part of a family._

He settled back into the armchair. _I need a chair like this for myself. It's so comfortable._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

 _Where are all the others?_

 _It's already past eight. I've a mind to go knock on their bedroom doors and wake them up._

As soon as the thought passed through her mind, Gale entered the living room.

 _That's one less door to knock on._

A big smile appeared on his face as he took in the frenzied sight before him. He sat down on the sofa to watch, leaning forward with his hands on his knees.

"Merry Christmas, Gale," Effie said. "You look like that cat that swallowed the canary."

Gale turned to her and chuckled. "I was the recipient of some very good news last night."

 _Is that why you never returned after you left the table? Those two must have gotten back together. That would certainly explain the happy look on his face._

From the corner of her eye, Effie noticed Peeta walking past the living room in the direction of the stairs. His hair was sticking up in all directions and he was still wearing _that_ costume.

 _He looks worse for wear. What has he been up to?_

A few minutes later Madge appeared, dressed in a flowing frock. She took a seat in an armchair across from the sofa. She, too, seemed fascinated by the children, while Gale's eyes left the children to focus on Madge. His tongue ran over his lips as if he was a wolf waiting to devour a lamb.

 _They need to keep their personal lives to themselves._

Katniss strolled into the room when Haymitch began to hand out gifts to the others. "You didn't have to do this," she said when Haymitch handed her a slim box. "I didn't bring anything for you."

"Don't worry. It's just leftover stuff Effie found in the supply closet."

Katniss giggled.

"Haymitch," Effie hissed.

"It's alright, Effie. I think we're all long past the pretending stage."

Peeta walked into the living room, dressed in jeans and a sweater.

 _I specifically told Sam that the clothing allowance was because I didn't want people wearing jeans._

"What are we pretending?" Peeta asked.

"Just that we're all related," Haymitch said.

Gale cleared his throat. "Some of us are related, though. Katniss and I are cousins. And there may be one more relationship that is real." At that point he hopped off the sofa and walked around the coffee table stomping on wrapping paper, and to the chair where Madge sat. He bent down onto one knee and stared up at her.

"I know you rejected me before, but I'm begging you to reconsider. Will you marry me Madge?"

Effie's mouth fell open. Her eyes flew to Haymitch first, and then to Madge's face.

 _The poor girl looks like she's in shock._

"I don't know," Madge said. "We need to talk more."

"But are you willing to consider it?"

A tiny smile appeared on her face. "Yes, I'll consider it."

Gale grinned jubilantly, as if he'd won a great victory.

 _But she didn't say yes._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Sam**_

Sam went outside with the excuse to shovel snow, even though it was practically melted. But he had to get out of the house. While he enjoyed his niece's children, they were driving him crazy.

 _Wonder how things are going at Snow Mansion?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

The idea had come to him in a flash. He knew instinctively that it was the completely wrong way to go about things. But after watching those little kids open their gifts, and knowing that in a couple of years he'd be observing his own child do the same, his emotions got the better of him and the words spilled out.

Although Madge's answer wasn't what Gale had hoped to hear, still he was pleased.

 _At least she didn't go running from the room screaming, or pick a fight like she did after my first proposal._

From his position on bent knee, Gale leaned forward and met Madge's lips.

"Ooh, kissing," Taiden squealed.

Madge put her hands on Gale's chest and pushed him back.

She was shaking her head at him. "Not now," she mouthed.

 _She's right._

He nodded to her and turned his body to sit on the floor by her feet.

 _This is turning out to be the best Christmas ever._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

 _Madge must have told him about the baby. Or maybe he figured it out for himself. That must be what he wanted to tell me at the stairs._

Her eyes flew to Peeta. He gave her a knowing look. She'd talked about Gale and Madge with him last night. She hadn't told Peeta of her suspicions regarding Madge's condition but rather of Gale's disappointment that the relationship had soured, especially after a three-year run.

"That's too bad," Peeta said. "But three years is a long time. He should have proposed sooner, struck while the iron is hot, so to speak."

"You think so? What would you consider a reasonable length of time to know that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone?"

Peeta had closed his eyes for a moment, causing Katniss to take notice of his long eyelashes. How did they not get tangled together?

"I don't think you can set an exact length of time. It could be a day, a month, a year. It just depends on the couple. But personally, I think three years is a long time."

 _I wonder if Peeta is one to fall in love fast._

Katniss opened the gift with her name on it. An iPad. _Haymitch treats his employees well._ She looked around, noticing that everyone had received the same gift.

After a chorus of thanks from all the adults, everyone made their way to the dining room. Sae had set out a feast – scrambled eggs, sausages, and waffles with various fruit toppings. There were also bowls of fruit, a few containers of yogurt, and muffins.

Katniss piled her plate high before taking a seat next to Peeta at the table.

"I wonder if Sae would let me take over the kitchen this afternoon," Peeta said. "I promised the kids I'd do some baking with them. Do you want to join me?"

"Sure."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

The house party would be over tomorrow at noon. Peeta wanted, no he needed, to find ways to spend more time with Katniss in the time that was left. Looking at the generous contents of Katniss' plate had given him the idea.

 _That's one need I can easily fill._

After the breakfast ended, he approached Sae. She readily agreed to let him spend the afternoon baking, as long as he cleaned up afterward.

Since their morning meal had been more of a brunch than a breakfast, she was planning to put out a second buffet later around 4 p.m. Fortunately, she didn't need to prepare anything. In fact, she planned to serve the leftovers from the other meals since they were all going home tomorrow.

Next Peeta spoke to Cecelia. "Katniss and I can take the kids off your hands this afternoon, if you like. We're doing some baking in the kitchen."

"Thanks," Cecelia said. "I'd like to take a nap. The kids kept waking me up last night thinking Santa had arrived. I didn't get much sleep." She decided to keep Tricia with her, though. The little girl had become whiny and was in need of sleep.

Peeta, Katniss, Timmy, and Taiden gathered in the kitchen thirty minutes after the meal ended.

"What are we going to bake?" Timmy asked.

"Let's set out the ingredients and see what we've got first."

Once all the supplies were set out onto the counter, Peeta eyed them carefully.

"Maybe some kind of bread," Katniss suggested. "We still have sugar cookies leftover from when we baked a few days ago."

Peeta opened the refrigerator. "Do you like cheese, Katniss? I have an idea."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

After eating, Madge returned to her room. The bed was still unmade, and she realized Cecelia hadn't had time to take care of it.

Quickly, she did it herself. Then she sat down in the chair in the corner of the room and thought about Gale's proposal.

 _Why did he do it now? And in front of everybody like that?_

But she knew why. _He's overjoyed about the baby_.

And she had a good idea, too, about why he'd done it in front of witnesses. _He was scared about how I'd react to another proposal._ _The first time he'd asked, I was a bitch._

She'd wanted Gale to propose for so long – she _expected_ him to ask - but he hadn't. For the last year they were together, she even considered that he might be stringing her along until someone better appeared. She'd gotten that notion from some articles about relationships she'd read, and a few disparaging comments from co-workers, and even her own mother. Consequently, she'd begun to mentally prepare herself, in case the relationship was to end.

Still all the while, Madge hoped that Gale would prove her wrong because she loved him. But because of her inner turmoil, his proposal was too late and too half-assed.

He'd been so casual about it. Instead of taking her to a fancy restaurant or to a secluded spot with a scenic view – doing something that showed he'd put some effort and thought into it, he'd asked her in the grocery store parking lot when they were loading up his car with food he'd bought for his mother's birthday party.

 _Did he expect we'd go back to the house and tell Hazelle all about it? That I'd spend my engagement night hosting a party for his mother?_

Instead of accepting his offer of marriage, she'd blown up at him. They'd had a huge fight in which she'd complained about their differences never addressing how she was really feeling – completely unappreciated.

 _We might never have broken up if I'd brought up my feelings earlier._

A soft knock sounded at her door. She got up and answered it. Gale stood in the doorway. "Can we talk?"

She let him in and returned to sit in the chair, while Gale sat at the end of the bed.

His face was serious. "You didn't give me a straight answer. I love you, but you can't keep stringing me along."

 _Stringing you along?_ Madge snorted.

Gale scowled. "It's not funny."

"But it is. I dated you for three years with no word of marriage, except for a few random musings about your future children. I thought you were _stringing_ me _along_."

"I had to finish my automotive training, get my state certification, and get some money saved for the ring. Anyway you seemed focused on your career."

Her heart twisted _. He bought me a ring. I didn't know that._

"Maybe you wanted to get all your ducks in a row, but you could have explained instead of letting me think you were only hanging onto me until someone better came along."

"Why would you think I'd do that?"

 _Because that's what it felt like to me._ "It just seemed as if you didn't appreciate me. Like I wasn't special to you any more.

"Of course I focused on my job. It was the only thing I could be sure about."

Gale's head dropped and he studied his hands. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way; you never said anything. You're my life, Madge. The last three months have been hell." After a moment of silence, he lifted his head and caught her eyes.

"I love you with all my heart Madge Jean Undersea. If you accept my proposal of marriage I will be the very best husband you could ever want and the very best father to our child that you're carrying now and to all the other children we'll have in the future. I'm begging you, please give me a chance; give us a chance."

He dropped from the bed to his knees.

Madge was in shock. She'd never seen this side of Gale.

 _I had no idea I had this kind of power over him. He's asked me to marry him three times now. Am I too weird to be liking this?_

Madge loved Gale. She had no doubt that he would be a faithful, protective, and hard-working spouse. But could she trust herself enough to speak openly and honestly to him about her feelings when problems arose? And if she did, would he listen, and make an effort to right things? There was only one way to find out.

"Yes, I'll marry you. But I'd like to do it sooner, rather than later, with the baby coming and all."

Gale stood up. "I'd marry you right now even without the baby coming. My mom could put something together if you think your parents.…"

"No family," Madge cut in. "This marriage is for us. Let's just elope and get on with our lives."

"I'll do whatever you want."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Haymitch**_

Haymitch looked across the living room and out the window. The sun was shining. Most of the snow had already disappeared. The only large patches were the remains of the snow people created yesterday.

He wasn't looking forward to leaving. He'd had a wonderful time so far.

Effie entered the room, wearing a bright red cardigan and dark wool pants that hugged her slender figure.

 _I never noticed how fit she is. She must work out._

"Want to finish that puzzle?" she asked him.

"Maybe later. I was thinking about taking a walk around the property. Would you care to join me?"

A shy smile appeared on her lips. "I'd love to. But let me change my shoes first. I expect the melting snow has made the ground muddy."

Haymitch didn't generally seek companionship, if anything he avoided it. But these past few days had reawakened a truth he'd forgotten – the realization that life was better, more fun even if it was shared with others. He was eager to share his realization with his secretary.

"Should we tell someone we're going outside?" Effie asked, when she returned.

"We probably don't need to; we're not going far."

As usual, Effie was right about the mud. The ground _was_ mushy after the snow had melted.

Haymitch led Effie past the greenhouse and in the direction of the woods.

"This certainly is a lovely setting," Effie commented. "The online photos don't do the estate justice."

"Peeta mentioned that his family's bakery has catered weddings here."

"It would be a beautiful place to get married." Effie pointed to a stump. "Is that where you cut down the Christmas tree?"

"You found it," Haymitch said. "By the way, do we need to dispose of that tree before we go?"

"I didn't think about that, but I suppose we should. I'll call Sam tonight. Maybe he can come out tomorrow and take it to a recycling center."

"They recycle trees?"

"Practically everything is repurposed these days."

They walked through the woods, stopping at the stream. Chunks of ice remained in places, but the water was still flowing.

Haymitch turned to Effie. "I can't thank you enough for arranging all this. I can't remember when I had such a good time."

"I'm glad. But things didn't turn out exactly as I'd planned. I wrote backstories for everyone. They were each supposed to be playing a role, but that didn't work at all, and then because some of them knew each other before we got here since they're all local, well…" Her voice trailed off.

"You're beating yourself up over nothing," Haymitch said. "It's perfect. The little kids, the sleigh ride, the church service, getting to be Santa, even the marriage proposal this morning, which I suspect I played a small part in bringing about. Really I've had a great time.

"Anyway I've been thinking your talents are being wasted in your job. I'd like to offer you a position in Marketing."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

 _He's getting rid of me._

She kept a smile plastered on her face, all the while distraught that she would lose daily access to Haymitch.

 _I'm the one who keeps him organized. Who knows how he likes his coffee. Who keeps the temperature in his office at exactly 70 degrees. Who makes his life easier in every way I can._

"If you think that's best." Her voice faltered.

"You sound as if it's a demotion," Haymitch said. "It's a promotion, Effie, a big one. Your salary will be greatly increased."

"I don't care about the money. If you don't mind, I'd rather keep my current job."

"I'm thinking that's not a good idea. I don't want people to gossip."

Her eyebrows rose. "Gossip. About what?"

Haymitch smirked. "Look we just spent our Christmas vacation together."

"Not exactly. We had separate rooms."

Haymitch's face grew red as he realized what she'd meant. "Of course we did. But people talk. And if you're my secretary it will be difficult if we continue to see each other. It would be better if you're working in another part of the company."

 _Continue to see each other?_ Effie's heart raced. _What is he saying?_

A troubled look appeared on Haymitch's face. "I'm sorry. Did I read you completely wrong? I thought, after these last few days you might be amenable to expanding on our growing friendship."

Effie's racing heart slowed. Her eyes narrowed. _Friendship? Like the kind that comes with benefits? What kind of woman does he think I am?_

She straightened herself up. "I never would have expected this from you Haymitch, suggesting some kind of illicit…"

"What are you talking about?" he broke in. "How is it illicit if neither of us is married and we want to enjoy each other's company?"

"I'm not going to be your lady toy. You can't strip me of a job I enjoy and put me in an out-of-way position simply because you want me to be your _special_ _friend_."

Haymitch guffawed loudly. "I'd like to _date_ you - you know go out to dinner, see a movie, maybe play a round of miniature golf - with the intention of us having a future together, that is if you'd consider one with an old guy like me. People will talk if I'm dating my secretary. I don't care so much for myself, but I'm not out to ruin your reputation."

Effie breathed a sigh of relief. _How could I have misunderstood? He wants a relationship, not an affair._

"You're not so old Haymitch. I would very much like to date you. But I don't want to lose my job. I enjoy working with you."

Haymitch frowned. "Okay, then. I'll figure something out."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Dalton**_

Sam helped his niece load up her car with gifts. He and his wife stood on the front porch and waved goodbye to her and the children.

"There goes another Christmas," Myrtle said. "The holiday has come and gone so quickly."

 _I feel as if I hardly had a Christmas since I've been working so much. Thank goodness that Abernathy gig is over tomorrow. Think I'll go inside and total up the bill._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

He was pleased that Madge had agreed to marry him. If they weren't stuck here at Snow Mansion until tomorrow, he would have insisted that she leave with him immediately.

 _Before she changes her mind._

But the practical side of him realized that he was never going to find someone to marry them on Christmas Day. "We could go to City Hall tomorrow if you want," he told Madge.

She frowned. "I work at City Hall. I don't want to get married at work. It would be weird."

"I get that," Gale said. "It's too bad, we can't get married here."

Madge's eyes lit up. "You know, that's a great idea."

"We better talk with Effie," Gale said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

"Oh Peeta, these are so good," Katniss moaned as she took a bite from the cheese bun on her plate.

 _Handsome, works well with children, can draw, and cook too. He's practically perfect._

When the cheese buns had gone into the oven, the boys had started to argue.

"Let's find something for you to do," Katniss suggested. She'd rifled though the drawers in the built-in desk and found some paper and pencils, which she'd passed out to the boys.

"Draw a picture of your favorite thing we did these past few days."

"That sounds like a class assignment," Peeta teased. "I'd like a paper and pencil, too."

Peeta set quickly to work and within minutes held up a drawing.

 _He's drawn me singing in church._

"That's good and you did it so fast. You're very talented, Peeta."

"Thanks," he said, as he added more detail to the illustration.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

He put some foil over the remainder of the cheese buns and left them on the counter. "Sae can put these out with our dinner tonight," he said. "What should we do next?"

"Play with our Christmas presents," Timmy said.

"Okay then."

The group made their way back to the empty living room.

The kids ran toward their gifts, which lay under the tree. Timmy and Taiden each picked up a Lego kit and ripped the plastic covering off.

"Do you need any help making those models?" Peeta asked.

"No," Timmy said. "I know how to do it. I can help my brother, too."

"My Mama says we're destined for great things," Taiden said.

"Wish my mom was of the same mind," Peeta mumbled.

Katniss gave him a sad look. "We could finish that puzzle," she suggested, taking a seat in front of the coffee table.

"Okay." Peeta joined her.

The picture on the box was of a meadow, filled with wildflowers. But only a quarter of the picture was complete.

Peeta eyed the loose pieces. He began moving them around with his hand, grouping pieces together by color.

"What are you doing?" Katniss asked.

"Putting like colors together. It's obvious they must connect."

"I've never thought to do it that way. I look for shapes that are flat on one side because I know they line the edges."

"I suppose everyone's got their own method," Peeta said. "There are probably as many ways to put a puzzle together as there are people who do them."

As he spoke, it dawned on Peeta that the way he lived his life was as unique to him as his puzzle strategy. He'd been feeling badly about himself because he hadn't followed the plan prescribed by his college girlfriend – seek success in the big city – or his mother's scenario– get married and settle down, but in reality his life was perfectly fine. He was in the exact place he was meant to be.

 _If I hadn't spent Christmas here, I might never have met Katniss._

As they worked together to make the meadow expand and blossom, Peeta asked, "Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve, Katniss?"

Her cheeks grew pink. She looked up at him. "No."

"Would you be interested in spending it with me?"

"Yes."

 _This next year is going to be great._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge and Gale scoured the mansion to look for Effie, and then went outside to search the property. They found her with Haymitch; the pair had their faces pressed against the glass door of the greenhouse.

"Those roses are so pretty," Effie said. "Too bad the door's locked, and we can't get inside."

"Could we talk?" Gale said, approaching the couple.

Madge held tight to her fiancé's hand. She let Gale do all the talking because he could be quite persuasive, but also because she was embarrassed about badmouthing him to Effie only a few days ago.

When Gale told them that he and Madge wanted to get married at the mansion before everyone left tomorrow, Haymitch clapped him on the back.

"Congratulations, son. I like that you aren't giving the grass any time to grow under your feet."

Madge eyed her Gale curiously. _What's that all about?_

Effie seemed less enthusiastic. "Are you absolutely certain about this?" Her eyes locked with Madge's.

 _I guess I deserve it._ "Yes. I love Gale."

Effie bit her lower lip. "I'd like to speak privately with Haymitch first. Why don't you two take a stroll and we'll all talk when you get back."

"Sounds like a plan," Gale said. "And thank you for considering it."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

"I'm not sure about this wedding," Effie said, as soon as Gale and Madge were out of earshot.

"It's none of our business," Haymitch said.

"She said they had a bad breakup a few months ago, and he was awful about it."

"He told me she broke his heart. She probably did. But look, it all worked out."

Effie shook her head. "I don't know. They've only just reconciled. It seems impulsive."

"Effie, honey, we're not they're real parents. Besides what's to worry about? He's employed; they're in love. Many successful marriages have started out with far less. What could go wrong?"

"A lot," Effie said. "I don't want Abernathy Industries to be liable if things blow up between them since I hired them to play husband and wife for your holiday."

"I don't think the company would be legally responsible since it's Gale's and Madge's decision to make it real. Anyway if they don't get married here, they'll do it elsewhere."

Effie sighed. "You're probably right. But I'd feel better about things if the company would pay for a few months of marriage counseling for them. You could give it to them as a wedding gift."

Haymitch chuckled. "Maybe I should move you into Legal, instead of Marketing. I like how you're always watching out for me and Abernathy Industries."

A few hours later Haymitch faced his made-up family as they gathered around the dining table for an early dinner.

Everyone was in high spirits, although Timmy and Taiden were nodding off. They hadn't napped, and their lack of sleep the previous evening was catching up with them.

"This might be my last chance to talk with all of you about these last few days," Haymitch said. "I realize this is just a job to you, but I wanted to thank everyone for giving up your Christmas to make mine special.

"You have no idea the changes these past few days have wrought in me."

He had to stop for a moment to gather himself. _I never expected to be near tears._

"As your pretend father and grandfather, I'd like to pass along some wisdom that this lovely woman," his eyes flew to Effie, "has taught me."

"Don't make work the main purpose of your life. Have some fun and enjoy yourself. Time goes by quicker than you think and before you know it you'll be old like me."

"Stop calling yourself old," Effie jumped in.

"Old enough to know that I need a change. Who knows maybe I'll retire?"

 _That might be the only way to get Effie to take the leap to Marketing._

"I've never traveled much, unless it was for work and then I only saw the inside of taxis and conference rooms. Of course I'd like a partner in my travels."

He winked at Effie.

"We can discuss this later," she murmured.

 _Oh, we will."_

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

As the dinner was drawing to a close, Effie tapped on her cider glass to catch everyone's attention. "We'll be having an unexpected addition to our schedule tomorrow morning." She tipped her head to Gale.

"I have an announcement." Gale reached for Madge's hand, raising it above the table for everyone to see. All heads at the table turned to look at him.

"Madge has accepted my proposal of marriage. We'll be getting married tomorrow morning before we go."

"You're getting married?" The surprise was evident on Katniss' face. "Right away? What about both of your families?"

 _Oh, no I didn't even think of their families._

"My parents are out of the country, and Gale has you here," Madge pointed out.

 _So her father isn't available to give her away. I know someone who could take on that task._

"I wish I'd known," Peeta said. "I could have baked a cake for the occasion, but I used up the rest of the flour this afternoon making the cheese buns."

"What about a flourless cake?" Sae suggested from the other end of the table. "The family I work for has a daughter who doesn't eat gluten. I've made her the occasional flourless baked good."

"That might work," Peeta said. "I can look through what's left after we're done eating to see what ingredients we have."

"I could probably make some decorations," Katniss said. "I'll pull the silver wrapping paper out of the recycling bin."

"I design clothes for a hobby," Cecelia volunteered. "I could help Madge with her dress later this evening when the children fall asleep."

 _I love how Haymitch's family is pitching in to help._

Gale looked around the table. "Thank you everyone."

"You're all so kind," Madge added.

 _Heavens, we'll all be busy this evening._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Dalton**_

The call came from Effie Christmas evening.

"Could you arrange to have a justice of the peace sent out here before we leave tomorrow to conduct a wedding?"

"I have a license; I can do it myself," Sam said. "I can be out there around 9 a.m." He was just about to ask what couple he was going to marry, when Effie spoke.

"One other thing. Will you take our Christmas tree away to be recycled?"

"Sure."

He was too busy trying to figure out how to transport the tree, whether he should rent a truck or tie it to the roof of his hatchback that he didn't realize she'd already hung up until he heard the beeping of the dial tone.

"Who was that?" Myrtle asked, when Sam set down the receiver.

"The folks at Snow Mansion. They want me to do a wedding out there tomorrow morning."

"Who's getting married?"

"Damned if I know."

"I hope they're paying you for it."

"Oh, they will. I'll add it to the bill right now."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

Gale spent the evening making long chains out of silver gift wrap and hanging them around the walls of the dining room, while Katniss made tissue paper flowers to set by everyone's plate setting.

"Are you sure this doesn't look too cheesy?" Gale asked, when he was done.

"It's the best we can do on such short notice." Katniss' voice was sharp. "I think it's great you two are back together, but why are you rushing things?"

"Madge is pregnant."

"Oh."

"Actually, I'm really excited about it."

"Well, that's good. So why don't you call up your mom and have her come by with the kids to witness the ceremony."

"I don't think Ma would be so happy about the wedding."

 _Ma's never really liked Madge. Hell, she's never liked anyone I dated. I think she'd be perfectly happy for me to stay single the rest of my life._

"It will probably take her a while to get used to the idea that I'm married."

"Maybe she'll feel differently when she learns she'll be having a grandchild," Katniss suggested.

"I hope so. You know what would be great, though, if you could get your phone back from Effie and tape the ceremony. I could show it to her later when she cools down."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

Before she turned in for the night, Katniss knocked on Madge's bedroom door, curious to see the wedding attire Cecelia had created for Madge to wear.

While Katniss had been fishing wrapping paper out of the kitchen recycling, she'd overheard Cecelia telling Madge that she could whip her up a wedding dress using a lacy curtain panel that hung in her room and a white sheet on one of the beds.

Katniss had turned her head quickly to see Madge grow pale. Even Katniss was nervous for Madge.

 _That sounds like the materials for a Halloween costume, not a wedding dress._

But when Effie opened the door to Madge's room, Katniss' breath caught in her throat.

Madge wore a long Grecian style dress with one shoulder bare, a loose bodice with a high waist accentuated with a blue ribbon, and a long flowing skirt. She slowly turned around to reveal a lacy train that started at her waist and stretched out a couple of feet behind the hem of the skirt.

"What do you think?" Madge asked.

"It's gorgeous."

"Cecelia's quite talented," Effie said.

"You are," Katniss said, looking at Cecelia with new eyes. "Do you do this professionally?"

"I hope to someday."

"Do you think Gale will like it?" Madge interrupted.

"He'll love it," Katniss answered. "You're going to be a beautiful bride."

 _That dress is gorgeous._

Madge beamed.

As Katniss walked to her bedroom, thinking about how good it would be to sleep in a bed tonight instead of on a tarp, a sudden thought occurred. _I should get some roses from the green house and make a small bouquet for Madge._

She yawned. _First thing tomorrow morning._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

He'd stayed up until midnight decorating the gluten-free chocolate cake made from Sae's recipe. Fortunately there was enough leftover confectioners sugar and butter to add a thin layer of icing.

Peeta had no frosting tips to decorate it properly, but there were plenty of sprinkles left over from the sugar cookies, so he'd decorated the top of the cake with them, setting each sprinkle down, one-by-one, to create a portrait of the bride and the groom.

As he worked, he thought about Katniss. He was toying with the idea of taking her to some "public New Year's event" or inviting her to his apartment for dinner and a movie.

 _Either way would it be too cheesy if I wore my costume?_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Madge**_

Madge woke up with a start. _Today is my wedding day._

She'd slept alone, forbidding Gale from her bed on her last night of being single. She rubbed her hands over her belly. "Am I doing the right thing, little one?"

But she didn't need an answer because she had no doubt. _I love Gale. I want to spend my life with him._

It had been easier to see that after their three-month separation. Even a couple of days after she'd called it quits, but before she'd found out about the baby, she was regretting her angry words. She'd clearly blindsided him.

 _But that's what happens when, instead of talking to your boyfriend about your relationship, you leave him out of the conversation and talk to everyone else._

Getting married without family around to interfere and take charge was a relief. Although her parents had begrudgingly accepted Gale they'd never been overly fond of him because he was a mechanic, while Hazelle seemed jealous of any woman who her son paid attention to.

 _My parents would have wanted some elaborate extravaganza to show off to their friends, and Hazelle would have been making passive-aggressive comments about the money being spent. It would have been a nightmare._

When Effie had told them that they could have the wedding at Snow Mansion, she'd also insisted that they accept some sessions with a marriage counselor as a wedding gift.

Gale had complained to Madge privately afterward. "We don't need counseling."

Madge bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. _That's what you think._

"Well, I do," she said. "And it would probably help if you came along."

"Whatever you say, honey."

 _It's good thing he still on that baby news high. At least for now he'll do whatever I say without too much fuss._

There were still plenty of things she and Gale had to iron out. Where would they live? Madge's apartment was too small, and he was presently living with his family. And when the baby came, then what? Would she continue to work?

An unexpected calmness came over her.

 _You're getting ahead of yourself. Take a deep breath. It will all work out._

Had the baby provided that recommendation?

 _Don't be silly. Why don't I think about the honeymoon instead?_

A smile came to her lips. _I've definitely missed that part of our relationship_.

Madge stretched. She got out of bed and put on her bathrobe. Cecelia had offered to fix her hair and dress her.

 _That woman is a miracle worker. With a few household items, she's managed to create a wedding dress that looks like something straight off Pinterest. I hope someone gets a picture or two of me wearing it._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

 _Is this what families do? Work together in a seamless fashion?_ From everything Haymitch knew, _that_ was unlikely. _Maybe it's because we're only temporarily related._

Haymitch had expected the holiday to coast to a slow ending. Instead, the unexpected wedding had rallied everyone to a fever pitch as they devised a dress, decorations, and a cake. He wanted to help as well, and wasn't sure what he could do when Effie handed him a bracelet and a pair of tweezers and asked if he'd take it apart and create a wedding ring for the bride.

He put on his reading glasses, sat down in his favorite chair in the living room and got to work. The ring he made for the bride was a thin gold chain that had a tiny blue bead dangling from it.

 _It doesn't look half bad._

Effie was impressed. "You have some hidden talents. You could make and sell jewelry at crafts fairs."

Haymitch laughed, picturing himself as an artisan hawking his wares.

 _But why not? If I retire, I can do anything I want._

"I think it's this chair," he said. "It's a _dad_ chair."

Effie smiled. "If you like the chair so much, why don't I see if I can buy it for you. I never gave you a Christmas gift."

"You gave me these past few days. You've changed my life in ways you'll never understand. I like the chair, but you don't need to buy it for me. Just add the cost onto the bill."

The next morning, Haymitch put on the suit he'd worn on Christmas Eve. The bride descended the stairs looking like a Greek goddess, carrying white, long-stemmed roses. She asked Haymitch to escort her the short distance down the garden pathway to a stone circle where the ceremony would be conducted.

"Do you like my dress?" Madge asked. "Cecelia made it."

"It's stunning."

 _Cecelia is one creative woman. With a little capital she could go far._

As he led Madge along the garden path, strewn with rose petals dropped by Cecelia's children, Haymitch marveled at the lifetime of experiences that had been condensed into such a short vacation. He led her up to Gale and Sam who waited in the stone circle.

 _If this is what it's like to live in Effie's orbit, I never want to let that woman go._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Effie**_

Effie was dressed and ready to go by six a.m.

 _I thought I'd be lazing about and packing this morning, but I'm more excited now than four days ago when everyone arrived._

When Sae got up at 7 a.m., Effie helped the cook ready the wedding breakfast buffet.

"You've done a wonderful job with all the meals these past few days," Effie said, as she helped Sae set the table one last time. "I hope you'll be getting a little break before you go back to work."

"That I will," Sae said. "The Collins' won't be back until January 2nd. I'm going to make a big pot of stew, relax on the couch, and binge watch some shows.

"Sounds fun. Are you watching anything special?"

"Season three of _Outlander_. I just love that Sam Heughan. I guess I'm partial to redheads. There's just something special about them."

Effie smiled at the older woman's girlish confession. "I know what you mean about red-heads. We have a young, UPS delivery man named Darius that has lovely red hair. All the secretaries like to tease him. He gets so embarrassed sometimes that his face turns as red as his hair."

Sae spent the next hour telling Effie all about the _Outlander_ books series, a romantic saga about a British nurse from WWII who time travels back to the 16th century and falls in love with a Scottish highlander.

 _What a lovely lady Sae is. Too bad, I didn't get a chance to spend more time with her._

Sam arrived at 8:30 a.m. As soon as Effie opened the door, he handed her a white envelope. "Here's the bill for my services."

"About that," Effie said, "Haymitch would like to buy the armchair in the living room, the one closest to the tree. Do you think they would sell it to us?"

Sam's face went pale. "I guess I could ask. How much are you willing to spend?"

Effie waved her hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter to me. Start with a reasonable offer and then raise it if you have to. Haymitch said to add the cost of the chair to the final bill." She handed the envelope back to him.

Sam shoved it into the breast pocket of his suit.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Dalton**_

 _What is it with these folks? Abernathy Industries must be rolling in loot._

"Who's the lucky couple tying the knot."

"Madge and Gale."

 _Are you kidding? Only three days ago that kid was trying to get her fired from the job._ "Great."

 _I was secretly hoping for Katniss and Peeta._ _They're an attractive pair and seem well suited, but I suppose a couple of days are too short a time to know each other enough to make a lifetime commitment._

It wasn't long before he was standing with the groom watching the children come forward tossing rose petals on the ground. Next came Haymitch escorting the bride. She wore a beautiful white gown and carried long-stem roses in her free arm.

 _Did she bring that dress with her? Where did they get those roses? If they used any items from the house or flowers from the greenhouse, the Snow family is going to hold me responsible, and you can bet I'll be passing along the charges._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Gale**_

Madge looked so dressed up as she walked toward him; Gale was glad he'd purchased the dark suit. He'd bought it to wear for Christmas dinner, never guessing he'd wear it to his own wedding.

What a roller coaster he'd had to ride get Madge to this place of becoming his wife. _Maybe Katniss is right and I should have come up with a more romantic way to propose._

On the day of their breakup he'd made the last payment to the jeweler for Madge's ring. It had been sitting in his pants pocket and he'd felt the box when he'd pulled the keys from his pocket to open the car's trunk to put away the food he'd purchased for his mother's party.

He'd been so excited– it had taken several months to pay for it – that he couldn't contain himself.

 _What a mess that turned out to be. Guess that will be the topic of our first counseling session. But I'll get the honeymoon right._

He had a co-worker who owned an isolated cabin in the woods. Gale was going to call him as soon as Effie gave him his phone back, and see if he could borrow it for the next week.

 _Of course we'll need to stop by Dandelion City Hall first and get a wedding license before we leave town._

Sam had warned them that they needed it; otherwise the ceremony would not be legally binding.

Gale voice was strong as he spoke the vows, "I, Gale Hawthorne, promise to love and cherish you, Madge Undersea, all the days of my life."

It pleased him to hear a nervous tremor in Madge's voice as she recited the vows. He was glad that she was taking her commitment seriously.

 _We're gonna have a good life together._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Katniss**_

Effie returned her's and Peeta's phones so they could tape the ceremony and take photos of the happy couple.

"Let me have your number," Peeta said, looking so attractive in his costume.

Katniss reached for his phone and punched it in. She handed him her own phone. "Give me yours, too."

"I'll text you my address," Peeta said, when he handed her phone back.

Katniss' eyebrows went up.

"I think for our first date, I'll cook you a special New Year's Eve dinner."

 _Yes!_ "Will you make some cheese buns?"

"I think that can be arranged."

Later, Katniss stood on the lawn taping Gale's wedding ceremony. On the other side of the lawn, Peeta held up his phone as well, snapping photos.

 _We make a great team._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Peeta**_

 _I'm definitely wearing the costume on our date even if I have to pay extra to the dry cleaner to get it back in time._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Madge**_

Madge nibbled at her wedding breakfast. Although the meal was delicious, she wasn't hungry; she was ready to leave Snow Mansion.

 _I want to begin my new life._

Peeta carried in the cake and sat it in front of her and Gale.

Madge's eyes teared up, and she looked around the table. "I don't know what to say … You've all pitched in to make this the most memorable day of my life. Thank you so much."

"Yeah, thanks everyone," Gale repeated.

The party soon broke up. It was 11:30 a.m. and they were supposed to be out of the house by noon.

"You got everything, wife of mine," Gale said, as he came into her bedroom. Madge had changed out of her wedding attire and put on a pair of loose pants and an oversized sweater.

"Yeah, it's all packed."

Gale picked up her bag. "I'll follow you back to your apartment, so we can drop off your car. Then we'll drive over to City Hall and pick up our license before we head out of town to start our honeymoon."

Her eyes narrowed. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Gale said. "You'll have to trust me on this one, Mrs. Hawthorne."

 _He's actually planned something. I can hardly wait._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _ **Haymitch**_

Haymitch got into Effie's car. She was going to drive him back to the city.

"That was a great group of people we met these past few days. I'd like to keep in touch."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Effie said. "I've got all their phone numbers and addresses."

"And I'd like to help Cecelia start some kind of clothing business. I was talking with her at breakfast. She's been supporting herself through odd jobs."

Effie took her eyes off the road, to smile at Haymitch. "That's very kind of you."

"Nonsense. I've got a wheel barrel full of money, and then more in the bank. About time I begin to spread it around and let it do some good."

They drove down the highway and Haymitch stared at the winter landscape. "I _am serious_ about retiring," he said. "I never realized how much I've been missing out on while I've been holed up in my office."

"Are you planning to make an announcement when we get back?" Effie asked.

"Not right away. I've got to get all my ducks in a row first. Figure out who I want to name as successor. I'm leaning toward Boggs, rather than Heavensbee."

"I think Boggs is a wise choice. He's a man of high character. Besides he's always punctual when you call a meeting. Heavensbee operates on `Heavensbee' time."

Haymitch chuckled. "That he does. And my offer about moving you to Marketing is still on the table. I expect whoever takes over the running of the company will bring his own secretary along."

She frowned.

"Don't fret, Effie, everything will work out for the best, you'll see."

Traffic was backed up and their speed slowed. It started to get dark as they approached the outskirts of the City.

"How about we stop and get a bite to eat," Haymitch suggested. "It can be our first date."

 **Epilogue**

 _ **Effie**_

"Hurry up, Haymitch. We have a schedule to keep. We're supposed to be there at five."

Her fiancé put on his sports coat. He was looking so relaxed these days, like he'd dropped ten years since he'd retired.

"Let me drive, Effie, you've had a busy week."

"Well, I had to take care of things. Can't have the Marketing department fall apart while I'm away."

"They're professionals. They should be able to hold it together without you."

"I suppose so."

Fortunately traffic was light and they were soon out of the City and heading to Dandelion.

"I'm so excited about this reunion," Effie said. "I can't wait to see how they're all doing."

"You know how Cecelia and the kids are. You're on the phone with her all the time."

Effie smoothed her hands down the sides of her pink satin skirt. "You know, she made the dress I'm wearing. I'm so proud of her. She's getting a lot of attention. You were so good to give her the seed money."

"She's a hard worker," Haymitch said. "But how are Madge and Gale doing? I understand they've taken advantage of that counseling gift you suggested. And are Peeta and Katniss an item? I can't wait to meet Sam's other half."

"Do you think they'll be surprised when we tell them that it's more than a reunion Haymitch? You don't mind that we're not doing it up bigger and inviting everyone from work?"

"No, I'd rather have it small. These people seem like family to me."

They arrived at the restaurant and were guided to the private dining room. Effie and Haymitch stood outside the room ready to greet their guests. Sam and a plump woman he introduced as Myrtle arrived first.

"You're really going through with this?" he asked Haymitch.

"I am. Effie and I couldn't be happier."

Effie felt a tingle run down her back. It was as if her wildest daydream was about to come true.

Next came Cecelia and the kids. Tricia had grown into a little lady and boys had gotten taller.

Sae appeared. "Thanks for the invite. It's nice to eat a meal I haven't made myself."

"It took me a couple of weeks to get down to my fighting weight after your delicious cooking over Christmas," Haymitch told her, rubbing his hand over his mid-section.

Before Sae could enter, Effie touched her arm. "You were right about that show." Effie put her hand to her heart and sighed.

Sae chuckled.

Next came Madge and Gale. Madge's belly was so large that it looked as if she'd stuffed a beach ball under her dress.

Haymitch leaned into Effie. "I guess that's the reason for the quickie wedding."

Last in were Katniss and Peeta.

 _She looks so happy. Radiant, even. And he has on regular clothes for a change._

Effie spied her left hand. A pearl ring sat on it. "Are you two…" she began.

Peeta wrapped his arm around Katniss waist, leaning in close to kiss the side of her head. "Our wedding is at the end of the summer."

He pulled two envelopes, one for Effie and one for Haymitch, from his coat pocket. "We hope you both can make it." His voice lowered. "But if you talk to any of my family at the event, don't mention Snow Mansion. They think Katniss and I met at Disney World."

Conversation flowed as platters were set on the table, and the group feasted. As the eating slowed, Haymitch stood up and tapped a spoon against a water glass to get everyone's attention.

"We're here today for more than a reunion," he said. "You're like family to us. We invited you to witness this important day in our lives. He held out his hand to Effie. We're getting married right now. Sam will be officiating."

"Oh my," Myrtle said. "Why didn't you tell me, Sam?"

Sam turned to his wife. "Haymitch and Effie swore me to secrecy."

Effie and Haymitch stood at the end of the table, positioning themselves to face the group, while Sam had his back to everyone.

As she repeated her vows to love and cherish Haymitch, Effie thought about how she'd already been doing that for years.

The man beside her wasn't anything like her former fiancé - who had already been married three times she'd last heard - but a kind, decent man who gone through hardship in his youth but instead of becoming a victim, had picked himself up and made something of his life.

 _I'm lucky to have found him._

Her cheeks grew warm as Haymitch kissed her, making a loud smacking sound as their lips met when Sam pronounced them "husband and wife."

Gale whistled loudly, and the others began to clap.

A waiter wheeled in a small, two-tier wedding cake on a trolley.

"Hey, I decorated that cake this morning," Peeta said. "I had no idea it was for you two."

"I had the restaurant place the order because I wanted to keep things secret," Effie said. "But I wanted you to do our wedding cake."

She was feeding cake to Haymitch when, Madge let out a scream. All eyes turned to her.

"My water broke."

"You got any other talents we don't know about Sam?" Haymitch asked.

"I've never delivered a baby, and I don't plan to add that to my repertoire today," Sam replied. He turned to Gale. "Son, you better get your wife to the hospital."

The party broke up shortly, as soon as Gale hurried Madge out of the room to take her to Dandelion General.

While Haymitch paid the check, Effie packed up slices of cake for Sam and Myrtle, Cecelia and the kids, and Sae. The rest of the cake she boxed up to bring to the maternity waiting area, where she, Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta each had a piece.

Effie gave away additional slices to Madge's parents, Gale's mother Hazelle, his brothers Rory and Vick, and his teenage sister Posy.

Katniss' mother Lily ate a slice while she was on her dinner break at the hospital.

After a long wait, Gale came into the waiting area. "It's a boy."

The entire room burst into cheers. "I want to see my daughter and new grandbaby," Mrs. Undersee said.

"I want to go in too," Hazelle seconded.

Haymitch leaned in close to Effie. "Maybe we should get going, we're not really family to them."

Overhearing his comment Katniss shook her head. "Haymitch, family is more than a blood relationship. It's a group of people who share laughter, sadness, victory, loss, happiness and success together. I consider you and Effie family to us. I know Gale and Madge feel the same."

"Besides," Peeta added, "every family needs a rich uncle."

 **THE END**

 _ **Thanks so much for your interest in this story. I wrote it in July when I participated in Nanowrimo with a group of THG fanfic writers. It's been torture for me to sit on it for all these months; I'm so glad to finally be able to post it and give you a chance to read it.**_

 _ **Merry Christmas and a very happy 2019!**_


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